Divya Dutta recently opened up about how romantic scenes were filmed in the past, before intimacy coordinators were standard on sets. In a new interview, she reflected on working with the late Irrfan Khan, with whom she collaborated on several films, including Hisss, earning acclaim for their performances.
Acting without intimacy coordinators on Hisss set
Recalling a pivotal scene from the 2010 film Hisss, Divya told Pinkvilla, “I was very nervous, but itna khoobsurat scene tha wo ki, they’re a childless couple, and both are crying, and they’re making love. That was the scene. It was a beautiful scene and humari director Jennifer Lynch, David Lynch ki beti. I saw aadha set toh humara bahar se aaya tha aur aadhe humare apne log the. Sab na aise khade the ki ye wala shot na accha hojaye. Toh mai nervous thi. What do I do? What do I do? Us time intimacy directors nahi hua karte the.” (I was very nervous, but it was such a beautiful scene — they were a childless couple, both crying, and making love. That was the scene. Our director was Jennifer Lynch, David Lynch’s daughter. I saw half the crew were outsiders and half were our own people. Everyone was standing in a way that this shot should turn out perfect. So I was nervous. What do I do? What do I do? Back then, intimacy directors were not appointed.)
Friendship off-screen made it easier
Divya also highlighted how their off-screen bond helped them navigate such intense moments, “Toh maine kaha suniye Irrfan kaha hai, toh my director is like, ‘Wo udhar chhat pe baithe hai, wo tumse bhi jyada nervous hai,’” she recalled, laughing.
“Because you got to do it right. You’ve got to give the correct emotion. You’ve got to see that your co-star is comfortable. Usmein aapki dosti badi kaam aati hai.” (So I asked, ‘Where is Irrfan?’ and my director said, ‘He’s sitting on the terrace, he’s even more nervous than you.’ Because you have to do it right. You have to convey the correct emotion. You need to make sure your co-star is comfortable. That’s when your friendship really helps.) The two stars reunited in 2018 for Blackmail, where they played husband and wife, maintaining their strong on-screen and off-screen bond.
