Aishwarya Rai’s eagerly anticipated film ‘Mistress of Spices’ directed by Gurinder Chadha’s husband Paul Mayeda Berges which has already released in UK (to release in India this week) is getting sluggish response from the audience and critics, despite their massive advertising budget.

Going by the UK box office figures ‘Mistress of Spices’ opened with disappointing response of GBP 85,563 on 50+ prints. In contrast last week’s Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Humko Deewana Kar Gaye’ opened to a smashing GBP 175,000 on just 43 prints.

Reviewers feel that the film fails to generate any heat. Also the chemistry between the main leads, Aish and Dylan lacks intensity and fire. Fans of Gurinder Chadha are disappointed to come across such a boring treatment given to the story where Aish is forever talking to her spices.

With this film Paul wanted to show Aish being liberated from the web of her traditional values (symbolized by spices) when she finds true love in the form of Harley-riding architect Dylan McDermott. He wanted to show the merging of two different backgrounds and cultures but his direction could not effectively translate it to the screen.

Plus it has come to light that Aish has not done enough promotion because she is embarrassed by some intimate scenes she shot for the film. Aishwarya is unhappy over the inclusion of one of the scenes, a bedroom sequence in which McDermott is shown brushing his hand gently on Ash’s bareback. This scene has also been used for the movie’s promotional posters.

Since Aish is not publicising the film, the distributors are fuming.