'Gehraiyaan' Intimacy Director Explains Why Sets Need Intimacy Directors In Post #MeToo World

The #MeToo movement was an eye-opener. The global movement against sexual abuse has made people aware that acting is a vulnerable profession, and there is a need to provide a physically and psychologically safe work environment to actors, says Gehraiyaan intimacy director Dar Gai.?

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The Ukraine-born filmmaker, who is settled in India, was roped in by director Shakun Batra for the film, making Gehraiyaan one of the first movies in Bollywood to have an intimate director.

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Bollywood has finally realized that intimacy directors could be an integral part of film sets, especially in the post #MeToo world.?

Gai believes the role of an intimacy specialist on the set is that of a protector, who understands and respects the performer’s “traumas.”?

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“Execution of the product is not enough; what’s also important is how we feel during that execution, how our actors feel, whether they feel psychologically in a safe zone or not,” the filmmaker told PTI in a Zoom interview.?

The MeToo movement, which was propelled by exposing Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s widespread sexual abuse, made people look at actors with a more humane approach.?

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“The movement made us realize that there are so many different ways in which trust can be compromised. We need to understand that actors are human beings; they have certain trauma and experiences in life, certain things they don’t want to do. All this needs to be discussed with them in order to keep them stable, happy."She added, “It also makes the entire process easier, more professional, and gets an outcome which can create much more connection with your audience than if you just push your actors to do whatever you’d like to,” Gai added.?

Dar Gai also shared that she knows a lot of actors who have had “disturbing” experiences as the directors wanted them to go beyond their comfort zone while doing an intimate scene.?

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“Being an actor, it’s a very vulnerable profession because you have so many eyes looking at you and judging you and thinking about you. And it isn’t very easy. It is important to figure out how to make that zone, that experience safer,” she asserted.?

Gehraiyaan, starring Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa, is a contemporary relationship drama.?

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Gehraiyaan, featuring Naseeruddin Shah and Rajat Kapoor in supporting roles, will premiere on Prime Video on February 11.

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