Aishwarya Rai. AFP

Q: At release time, what does The Mistress Of Spices look like?

The Mistress Of Spices is a more intimate, sensual film than our previous comedies. It has its own unique style which is a fusion of immigrant’s tale, sexy romance and magic realist fable.

Q: Does Provoked, the other Ash film, look tempting to you?

I haven’t seen Provoked yet. But I know about the real-life case in England it’s based on. I think it’s great that Ash is interested in taking on challenging roles which will inspire her to present different sides of herself as an actress. I’m biased as the director, but in The Mistress Of Spices Ash gives a very understated performance which is unlike anything I’ve ever seen her do. I think it’s one of her finest roles.

Q: After Bride And Prejudice do you think your film will build on Ash’s reputation as an international star?

I hope that Ash and other actors in India get to make smart, entertaining films in India and also get to do different films internationally because it can only give them richer experiences to draw from as actors. When we showed The Mistress Of Spices at the Toronto Film Festival people were saying, wow, we knew Ash was incredibly stunning, but she can also show depth as an actress if given a juicy role to sink her teeth into. Internationally many people appreciated Ash in Bride And Prejudice but because it was a musical which blended Hindi film and Hollywood traditions, it was an unfamiliar film language for many non-Indians. They could look at Ash and see her as someone outside their experience. In The Mistress Of Spices because it’s set in a very diverse San Francisco and her performance is understated, it shows a different side to what she can do. Also, I think Ash has great chemistry with Dylan McDermott, who is hugely popular in the States from his TV show, The Practice. From the moment they started rehearsing I could see that their intensity together would be sizzling on screen.

Q: What are you making next? Have you and Gurinder worked out a mutually time-effective scheme for filmmaking?

Gurinder and I are always writing new scripts ? sometimes together, sometimes with other writers. There are just too many stories that we’re excited about telling ? some set in the UK in the spirit of Bend It Like Beckham, some in India and others in Hollywood. I’m deciding now what I want to direct next while Gurinder is preparing Dallas.

Q: Are you aware that you would be accused of selling Indian exotica to the West?

That’s not the case at all. Mistress is about keeping traditions alive and the way that cultures influence each other. India’s relationship with the rest of the world has moved far beyond ‘exotica’ and I truly hope that people stop thinking in such reductive terms. The films that Gurinder and I have made always view culture in terms of possibilities, never as exotica or as a problem. The world is a much smaller place now and filmmakers have an important role to create characters that are human and complex and hopeful. That’s one of the things that drew me to Mistress. The film is essentially saying that we all have traditions that we value and we all have very similar desires. If we remember how similar we actually are then we’ll never see someone as ‘exotic’ or ‘other’ again.

Q: So how exotic is Mistress? I hate the word ‘exotic’. I wanted the film to be sensual, soulful and romantic, never exotic. Because it’s a fable it has a very different look that Santosh Sivan, the masterful cinematographer, and I spent a lot of time creating. We wanted to bring the spices alive as characters because in the film spices represent tradition. Everyone relates to traditions that are passed on from our mothers and grandmothers. There is so much wisdom there that comes from something real and most cultures have a strong relationship with spices. The colour, tone and music of the film hopefully compliments the storytelling.

Q: Final trivial question...your film is about the aroma and spice of life. How spicy is your own life? Do you cook? Do you like Indian food?

I feel very lucky because my life is extremely spicy! One of the reasons I love being able to make films in the UK, India and the States is because I get to eat all of my favourite foods in each country. I dream about eating pau bhaji in Mumbai when I’m away! I’m not a great cook but I’m an enthusiastic learner and helper. Fortunately, Gurinder is a great chef and my saas (Gurinder’s mum) is the true mistress of spices. Her cooking is adored by family members and friends all over the world and I especially love her aloo varian and aloo gobi. For Mistress, Gurinder and her mum made all the pickles in the spice store so every time I see a big jar of aachar in the film it makes me smile.