San Francisco Frontiers - As actors get more physical, Bollywood embraces intimacy coordinators

Once unheard-of in Bollywood, intimacy coordinators are becoming an increasingly familiar presence on sets as filmmakers embrace stricter standards after the #MeToo movement put a spotlight on sexual exploitation in entertainment industries around the world.

The shift comes as streaming platforms have pushed storytelling into a more nuanced territory, creating greater demand for realistic portrayals of sexuality.

"Just like a stunt director handles a fight scene... for scenes of intimacy, we map out exactly where the hand goes and where the hair goes so nothing is left to awkward improvisation," said Aastha Khanna, one of a small but growing group of intimacy coordinators in Bollywood.

Most arrive on set armed with "modesty tools" that allow performers to simulate intimacy while minimising unnecessary physical contact.

A typical kit includes crotch guards, nipple pasties and doughnut cushions, which ensure a safe distance between performers during sex scenes.

The emergence of such coordinators reflects a broader transformation in an industry where intimate scenes traditionally relied on trust between actors and directors, often with few formal safeguards.

Khanna said coordinators are usually hired before casting begins.

"The idea is that actors know there are intimate scenes in the script and can decide whether they are comfortable with them before signing on," she told AFP.

- No longer 'taboo' -

Bollywood, one of the most prolific movie-making machines in the world, largely sidestepped physical intimacy on screen for decades because of strict government guidelines and powerful censors.

Kissing and sex were implied symbolically, with flowers brushing against each other, crashing waves or a crackling fire standing in for overt desire and consummation.

Even when filmmakers pushed the boundaries, the mechanics of filming intimate scenes remained largely unstructured.

Among the first mainstream Hindi productions to formalise the practice of intimacy direction was "Gehraiyaan", backed by filmmaker Karan Johar and released on Amazon Prime Video in 2022.

Intimacy coordinator Khanna worked to establish personal boundaries and choreograph scenes, while intimacy coach Neha Vyaso conducted workshops focused on physical dynamics and consent.

This model has gradually spread across productions meant for streaming services, which industry experts say have been the primary drivers of change.

"There's much less censorship and more openness to stories that explore taboo subjects," Vyaso said.

Crime drama franchise "Mirzapur", known for its graphic content, started off without intimacy coordinators in its early seasons.

But lead actor Rasika Dugal said such specialists fill a critical gap.

"In the initial seasons, we had to navigate boundaries individually based on personal comfort," she said.

"It is very important to have intimacy coordinators so nobody is violated in any way and everyone's concerns are properly taken care of."

- Emotional scars -

Bollywood's glamorous exterior long concealed a chaotic backstage culture where personal boundaries were routinely crossed.

"There have been instances where the actor ended up kissing his co-star without her consent. We ensure that none of this happens in the flow," Khanna said.

But professionals like her remain far from universal, numbering just over a dozen across India's film and television industries.

In many commercial blockbusters, there is not much scope for their expertise because major actors often avoid explicit physical intimacy or even kissing on screen.

Certain films feature intimate scenes without a dedicated coordinator, while some experienced directors continue to manage scenes themselves.

With no formal guidelines or any requirement to hire an intimacy coordinator, some in the industry hope film associations will eventually introduce industry-wide standards.

To Khanna, the role of a coordinator extends well beyond simulated sex.

"A scene of intimacy is not necessarily just a spicy or a romance scene, it is a much larger umbrella" that can encompass violence, dominance, harassment and nudity, she said.

"The work that I do mitigates a situation where a person may go through several years of therapy and the scar may not heal."

B.Turner--SFF