COVID-19 has brought a big impact on the entire world, in all aspects. When the world is practicing social distancing, a bigger question and a dilemma arises for the film industry.
Sooner or later, the shooting for the silver screens will resume. But what about the intimate scenes when hugging and kissing are a big NO-NO? Are we going back to the yesteryears’ romantic scene?
“Do phool takrayenge, aur hum samajh jaayenge.” Actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik quips as he conjectures how romantic and intimate scenes could rewind to the 70s and 80s in the post COVID-19 era. But on a serious note, considering how new rules of on-screen intimacy, emotional and physical are being outlined across the world in these times of social distancing. “Now safety is more important than passionate scenes. A change is evident,” says Kaushik.
There are various questions regarding how the shooting could resume. Will the camera angles manage the scenes? Will the actors agree? What measures might be taken each time during the shoots? These innumerable questions are being pondered upon. Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar had raised the question recently on Instagram: “How the ciema world conducts shooting intimate scenarios in films to be seen and planned, after all this is over. Especially, the intimate kissing/hugging scenes. How close or how far.. or cheat story telling in those intimate scenes for sometime 🙂
Actor Dia Mirza replied to his post saying, “Guru, the entire process of making film is intimate!”, screenwriter-director Hitesh Kewalya says in a country like India where we believe in working shoulder-to-shoulder, it’s difficult to maintain social distancing to begin with.” “The same is reflected in our films. Things won’t be easy, but we’ve to find a way even while shooting intimate scenes,” says the Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan director, recounting that even when actor Manu Rishi Chadha had developed a skin infection, which they initially mistook for chicken pox, while they were shooting the film, they ensured he was quarantined.
Kewalya, who is currently writing his next directorial, a romantic film, speaks about the current scenario, “I can’t do that, or else I won’t be able to write. After all it’s a love story!”
Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee, who is currently working on Gangubai Kathiawadi belives “physical and emotional intimate scenes can be managed by putting the actors who would be performing these scenes in quarantine and monitor their health before shooting, or with certain camera angles, technology and visual effects.”
Though, nowadays, intimate scenes often become a talking point and generate interest among the public, TV and OTT content, trade expert Atul Mohan feels not many actors would be ready to take the risk of doing such scenes for now. He adds, “Quarantining cast and crew together won’tbe easy.”
Intimacy coordinator, Amanda Cutting, who has worked on web series Mastram and also on an unaired prequel pilot for Game of Thrones, points out that protocols have already being put in place in Spain, Australia and Italy, and India could take a cue from them. But doing COVID-19 tests for the entire cast and crew, maintaining hygiene and sanitization, and employing smaller crews will be vital.
Censor board member and writer Mihir Bhuta says regulations from the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health, in this regard are awaited.
Bhuta added, “These physical or emotionally intimate scenes usually involve two people. That can be done by getting them tested and quarantining them. But that would be difficult for over 25 people on the set. The bigger concern is to get back to work, and we don’t see that happening before July or even September.”
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