Access Bollywood

But who needs kissing when there are other sensual pleasures, such as heaping a spoonful of smooth mint chutney on a piece of puffy poori? My friends David and Heather agreed when I brought them to the restaurant on a more lively weekend night. They were totally turned on by what they called "all of the sexy details" at Bollywood Indian Bistro. "I love the spicy scent of the dining room, the colors ... and the movies," Heather gushed, pointing to the screen: A swarthy stud in a white polyester suit was performing a kind of Saturday Night Fever number with a starry-eyed gamine in a citrus-colored dress.

This time, there wasn't a sour note all night. We spooned a satiny black lentil dal makhni over basmati rice and suspected there were aphrodisiac qualities to the luscious chicken methi seasoned with aromatic fenugreek. Unfortunately, the closest I came to having a romantic experience that night was taking an extra helping of spicy beef korma and sopping up the nutty cream sauce with a wedge of onion naan.

David usually orders vegetarian, but I noticed that he was ignoring his excellent vegetable biryani — loaded with carrots, tomato, lima beans, broccoli, baby corn, peppers and cashews — and having a fenugreek frenzy over the chicken methi. Was it the succulent sauce, I wondered, or the tantalizing young beauty swishing her hips up on the movie screen?

"A restaurant like this reminds you that the Indian culture is lively and fun and sexy," David said, his eyes locked on the movie. "And the place isn't ugly, like the interior of most Indian restaurants. It's almost glamorous."

Well, what would you expect from a place named for Bollywood, the dream capital of India? That's the amazing thing about Bollywood Indian Bistro. Hidden away in the middle of an Independence shopping center is this remarkable dining room, with soaring ceilings, flashing lights and stunning cinema stars. It's not like watching a movie. It's like being in one.