Bollywood actors have often shared how intimate scenes are not easy to shoot, and how not treating it with professionalism leads to uncomfortable experiences.
The latest to jump on the bandwagon is Sayani Gupta, who recently opened up about her uncomfortable experiences on set while filming intimate scenes. She also emphasised on why it is important to have intimacy coordinators on sets. The Four More Shots Please! actress also shared a shocking incident where a co-actor’s “indecent behaviour” left her miffed and uncomfortable.
The actress recently came on a radio show, where she said, “I could write a book about intimacy, and I am grateful that this [intimacy coordinator] is now a profession in India. I had worked with one during Margarita with a Straw in 2013. Intimate scenes are the easiest to do because they are technical. But a lot of people also take advantage. I’ve been in situations where an actor lingered on a kiss after a cut, and you’re left feeling uncomfortable. It may be subtle, but it’s indecent behaviour.”
Reminiscing another incident on sets during an outdoor shoot for Four More Shots Please! in Goa, the actress revealed, “I had to lie on the beach in a tiny dress. There were some 70 men standing in front of me, and there wasn’t even one person on set to give me a shawl or be by my side. The lack of concern for an actor’s safety, or anyone’s safety, is concerning. Boundaries are often compromised, and this mindset needs to change.”
However, on the other hand, she also lauded her co-actor Prateik Babbar who made her feel safe during the shooting of a nude scene in the show. “His eyes didn’t shift for a second, he just kept looking into my eyes. My respect for him reached a new level,” shared Sayani.
Sayani Gupta debuted in 2012 with Second Marriage Dot Com, after which she gained critical acclaim with films like Margarita With A Straw, Fan, and Article 15. She was last seen in Amazon Prime Video’s Call Me Bae.