And this is why gentleness works.
Look at how softly Lukmo turns Simai's head. Look how he moves his hand away each time. Look how he waits between each motion, waits for Simai to say something or move away. Look at his patient.
I still don't love forced eye contact.
But his patience and gentleness take this from painful to watch to a form of affection, to a way of showing his love through his wait and his touch. There's so much less force here than in the other scene, so much softness.
And the end makes all the difference as well. Simai listens and Simai hears and the scene ends with the hug, the embrace, the return of love and forgiveness and communication.
This is the difference between gentle and forced, true affection and obsession, bending yourself to the one you love and bending the one you love to who you want them to be.