A lot of fellow film-makers worldwide have asked me about the use of sex & nudity in cinema. Their first Q is; how to go about these scenes?
My response to them is, you ought to treat them like any other normal scene! Most of the evolved filmmakers and actors (male or female) use this basic approach, to make the use of sex and nudity in cinema believable.
I also feel that in India or any other conservative country for that matter; too much hue and cry is made! Ironical, in Indian context, because India is the land of Kamasutra - one (actor, director or any other creative professional) has to overcome the bias and exhibit a mature approach!
In 2016, an Indian actress, Chitrangada Singh, reportedly walked out of a film because of a love-making scene; ironically, another actress, Radhika Apte made news because of her nude scenes in a film titled, Parched. This is just to illustrate the dynamics sex & nudity have in cinema.
I have categorically said, always rehearse the scenes before you film, particularly love-making scenes, it fine-tunes the entire process of filming and saves a lot of precious time during the shoot - the actors are at ease with each other, the ice between the actors has already been broken and if at all the actors have any blocks, they can discuss it freely with the filmmaker on a closed set; which they otherwise might not, on a crowded film-set.
I have categorically said, always rehearse the scenes before you film, particularly love-making scenes, it fine-tunes the entire process of filming and saves a lot of precious time during the shoot - the actors are at ease with each other, the ice between the actors has already been broken and if at all the actors have any blocks, they can discuss it freely with the filmmaker on a closed set; which they otherwise might not, on a crowded film-set.
A fellow film-maker who is making a very interesting short on sex and nudity; sent me link to a film "3 on Bed" made by the students of SRFTI (Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute), Kolkatta, INDIA. In her treatment note, the fellow film-maker stated, "the fact that a student production uses sex and nudity as a potent emotional tool to move forward the narrative is simply remarkable. It also shows the maturity of the students and their evolved mental state". I am sure she will make a better film than "3 on Bed".
Next time, you shoot a scene involving sex & nudity, try these simple tips - you might be in for a surprise that a seemingly complex scene to shoot - was actually very smooth to film!
The concluding part will include my personal experience of shooting nude scenes and statements of various Hollywood Celebs about how they feel about sex & nudity on screen and how they went about filming it!
The concluding part will include my personal experience of shooting nude scenes and statements of various Hollywood Celebs about how they feel about sex & nudity on screen and how they went about filming it!
