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I’m not ashamed to say I like Bollywood films, bad acting and all. Bollywood is second only to its namesake Hollywood in terms of film output and I’m not even so sure that still obtains as so many of Hollywood’s productions are remakes.

A few nights ago I saw The Mistress of Spices on the LIV cable channel. The movie starred Bollywood’s leading lady and 1994 Miss World, Aishwarya Rai with those commanding blue-green eyes and Dylon McDermott who is no little pip squeak himself. (Aishwarya is now married to Bollywood’s leading male actor Abishek Bachchan.) The movie follows Tilo (Aishwarya) who is taken from her home by rebels after they killed her parents. She escapes in a river and later washes up on the shore of the Goddess of Spice where she’s taught the secret of the spices. When she’s learnt enough and ready to go out and sell her spices and wisdom, she’s sent into the world (America, Los Angeles to be exact) where she is the curator of a spice shop. She’s told she must follow three simple rules: don’t leave the store, don’t touch human flesh and never betray the spices. Enter Dylan McDermott and so much for the three rules.

For me, the draw of any Bollywood movie or crossover Bollywood movie as Spices, is the ability to tell the most sensuous love stories without kissing, nakedness, sex or expletives. Wonderful! We get enough of that in ads, movies and even on the streets. In Bollywood, bad guys lose and good guys win – they may not end up with riches, but they do win. The simplicity of the Indian story and the lessons portrayed is a big part of the attraction. Like Slum Dog Millionnaire, The Mistress of the Spices is about love, choices, and self-sacrifice as are all Indian films. Tilo must make a choice and through her trials and error and the suffering she caused to those she intended to help, she must learn the hard way that love is best demonstrated through sacrifice.

A love story from Bollywood is one and a half hours of subtle foreplay. Anticipation is rife; desire is evident and words are unnecessary. It is apparent in body language, the glimpses of flesh around the woman’s waist, upper arms, shoulder and neck. And of course, because they’re Indian and hair is important, in the flow of their lovely mane. Now, now, I’m not worshipping long hair but just appreciating the natural beauty of eastern people. Anyone who saw The English Patient and the scene where Naveen Andrews’ character Kip loosens his turban and releases his long tresses for Juliette Benoche’s Hana to see, would totally understand what I’m saying.

Another favourite Bollywood-type movie that I can’t get enough of is Bend It Like Beckham starring the now famous Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Myers and Archi Panjabi, all appearing in ER, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tudors and The Good Wife; and many other popular shows.

Bend It Like Beckham is set in London and focuses on Parminder’s character, Jasminda and her desire to play football and the obstacles she faces through strict traditional parenting. Mixed in all of this is the relationship with her coach, Joe, played by Rhys Myers. Once again, the eyes take it. In one scene, Joe visits Jasminda’s home to convince her parents to let her play. Her father denies his request in a polite but not-so-polite manner, and he leaves. Joe and Jasminda are standing outside the house. It is dark and he is very close to her, telling her that she is lucky to have parents that care so much. She is not convinced. He’s wearing a pristine white shirt that fits perfectly across the shoulders and that highlights his eyes. He leans to her and a kiss is expected; instead, he tells her to go back inside to her parents and walks away. I wanted to drag him back and tell him to finish what he started.

Bend It Like Beckham is more modern than most traditional Bollywood movies and so the leading characters do kiss, once. But there’s no sex or expletives. From all that I’ve read, the movie is a very close accounting of the life of Indian immigrants to London and the complications caused by old-world traditions that children, born in a different era, find hard to follow.

In The Mistress of Spices, Tilo and McDermot’s character, Doug does not share a full-lip kiss. His lips touch her neck, arms, and eyelids. The scene fades the moment he moves to her lips. The enticement comes from the many tender scenes that lead up to this one. In another, Tilo is searching for Doug’s perfect spice. She goes to the back room, which has many, many jars nicely displayed as is the front. She skips the spice that would make him leave his girlfriend and tries to locate something special for him. Doug follows her. He comes to stand behind her. He is very close and for a moment, I think he’s going to take her in his arms. She is very aware of him and you know she wants him to touch her and he definitely wants to do more than that. And just as you think they will, they don’t. She steps back, slips away, and the scene changes.

There’s another scene where Tilo is hesitant because since meeting Doug, things have been going wrong. She blames herself and does not want to see him again. He visits her in the store and tells her, ‘I’m coming back for you tonight’. It’s a pleasurable threat that’s said with such tenderness that you want to tell him, no, not tonight, now, now, come back now! By the time they get together, there’s no need to see the sex. After, when the light fades on the screen, the scene continues in your head and your heart and you can’t help but feel the romance. It’s magic. (And oh, by that time in the show the girlfriend is dumped to prevent the leading-lady getting a two-timing reputation.)

I don’t necessarily think Ashwaya is a great actor; she’s not bad, but not great. However, she is a great beauty and nice to watch. Like Rhys, it’s all in the eyes and knowing this, the camera pans to the eyes at all opportunity. Likewise, not all Bollywood films are worth watching. The acting in some can be quite bad, bordering on ridiculous. I’ve seen scenes that are five minutes long and made up of loud mysterious music and harsh expressions as the camera pans from one person to the next seemingly in a contest of who will hold the stare the longest. I can also do without the Punjabi rhythm that’s synonymous of so many Bollywood movies. And it takes a certain tolerance to listen to the high-pitched female singing.

Also appearing in The Mistress of Spices are: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje who plays Keesi a regular visitor to the store and a man desperate to snare the love of his life with the delectable spices and secret recipes that Tilo provides. Adewale is also known for The Mummy Returns, Oz, Bourne Identity and others. Shaheen Khan plays a troubled boy’s grandmother. In Bend It Like Beckham, Shaheen played Jasminder’s mother, Mrs. Bharmra. Anunpam Kher who played alongside Shaheen in Bend It, played a grandfather in The Mistress of Spices.

Keeping on that side of the world, somewhat, I was fortunate enough to watch all three Girl With the Dragon Tattoo movies starring Noomi Rappace as Lisbeth Salandar. These are the original adaptations of Stiegg Larsson’s bestsellers. (Pity he didn’t live to see his success.) The movies were recorded in Swedish and subtitled. If you do nothing else, you must see these films and please watch this before you see the American remakes. There are no special effects and no dramatics but the acting is very real. The movies have received numerous nominations and awards on the European continent and at BAFTA. Some critics were surprised Rappace wasn’t nominated for best actress in the recently announced Oscar lists, but that’s how these things go. I must say though that I’ve seen a shot of Rooney Mara – also in Social Network – who will act as Salander and it looks very close to Rappace’s character. Hopefully, they’ll do it justice.

If you mainly watch American films, I’m suggesting that you broaden your mind and look to other cultures. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.