The Demand For Intimacy Coordinators On Rise In Indian Cinemas

The process of making a movie comprises of 24 crafts or just say 24 distinct fields of artists working together. It is fathomed that making a movie is not a one-man show. Right from stunt director, art director, choreographer, editor, cinematographer, dubbing artist, music director and etc, we have a total of 24 prominent fields to wrap a film. However, the crafts have been extended to 26-28 nowadays, based on the ongoing efforts to improve the quality of cinema. From time immemorial, Hollywood has been filled with intimacy coordinators and choreographers where they guide actors who are involved in bold scenes. Traditionally it has been haphazard and at times downright abusive and traumatizing. Thankfully, these last few years it is started getting better.

Who are intimacy coordinators and choreographers?

They are one of the important staff members who look after the wellbeing of actors while performing intimate scenes. They are allotted to make actors psychologically prepared, communicated and for the better practice to come to the foreground. With the #MeToo movement deeply rooted in the film industry, it is vital to inculcate this whole “method”. The experts work ideally on how to make little purely physical adjustments to get the effect needed for the context of the story and scene, to keep the communication going through the whole process, to make sure everyone is on board, to help actors transition out of the scene so there is no strange baggage coming out of that shoot. It can be handled responsibly with consent at every stage, from contract language to implementation.

Indian Intimacy coordinators:

Currently, we have Aastha Khanna, India’s first and only certified intimacy coordinator in Bollywood. Ms Khanna’s job is now to ensure safety for scenes that involve simulated sex, nudity and sexual violence just like how we saw stunt masters ensuring safety during stunts. Tollywood also has intimate scenes on rising of late. Some movies genuinely need such scenes to make the plot more effective and gripping to the audience. That scene might also be a turning moment for the protagonist. Now that Bollywood is hiring intimate coordinators, Tollywood and other South industries are showing interest to take up the challenge. Films like Dirty Hari, Chikati Gadilo Chitakottudu and a couple of movies tell us that we are relatively progressive compared to the ’90s and the censor board understands the current trend of the audience and allows intimate scenes and makers who are very much in touch with the pulse of the audience.

The emerging field of new and challenging category:

While intimacy coordinators balance the safety of performers alongside the vision of writers and directors, intimacy choreographers set the position, movement and staging of the scene. In the wake of the #MeToo movement and film industries’ continuing reckoning with rampant sexual misconduct, intimacy coordinators have become a fixture on film and television sets, including web series. After watching innumerable Hollywood intimate films, Indian cinema artists are not also far away from this. All we need is coordinators who facilitate trust, safety, and communication while managing the needs of the director and production.