Keeping social distancing and actors' safety in mind, Yoodlee Films to employ blocking to shoot kissing scenes for their untitled next; requests writers to cut down on intimate scenes for future
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 18, 2020)

In a post-Coronavirus pandemic world, the entertainment industry will witness an overhaul in the way films and television shows are shot. Even as cine bodies are in the process of developing a set of guidelines that can be followed by the cast and crew, shooting intimate scenes will pose a problem from a safety point of view. Saregama's movie production wing, Yoodlee Films, in a pre-emptive measure, is considering reducing sequences of physical intimacy from their offerings.

Citing an example of their yet-untitled next — a direct-to-web film commissioned by a leading OTT platform — Siddharth Anand Kumar, vice-president, films and events, Saregama India, says they will employ the blocking technique (where each actor shoots his/her portion separately) to depict intimate scenes. "We hope to take the project on floors in July. Since the film revolves around a couple who pose as siblings, some amount of intimacy is crucial to the story. We will choreograph those scenes in advance, and use blocking to depict the kisses," he explains. Furthermore, these sequences will be scheduled for the last leg of the shoot. He reasons, "That way, if anything were to happen, it won't jeopardise the entire project." The studio also plans to function with a skeletal crew of 30 on set.

As for the projects in the development stage, the studio has asked writers to minimise intimate scenes in their stories. "Writers develop stories with a certain freedom, [but] in such a scenario, we will be requesting changes at the writing stage. Doing away with intimate display of romance could be a reality for the near future, keeping the safety of the actors in mind. Eventually, we will find a way to work them out with clever camera [angles]."