As Mastram garners 11 million streams in a day, during the Coronavirus lockdown, we take a look at how a number of ‘erotic’ shows have, of late, been heating up temperatures on OTT platforms
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 25, 2020)

Adults-only content has existed forever but they were always few-and-far-between, and hardly ever meant for mainstream consumption, especially in India. But now, titillation seems to have become a tried-and-tested formula with the number of such shows on OTT platforms steadily increasing. And even audiences seem to be lapping them up.

Big numbers
According to a LetsOTT report, on July 3, adult comedy, Mastram recorded the highest single-day streams — 11 million. It has 362 million views till date in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. Swara Bhasker was recently seen in a sensuous avatar in a new web series, Rasbhari that focuses on the hypocrisy surrounding female sexuality in a patriarchal society. Plus, a few weeks back, XXX Season 2 was in the news and found itself in legal turmoil for depicting scenes “insulting the Indian Army”.

“It’s very simple: there is a demand for adult content and that’s why makers are attempting them,” says filmmaker Ken Ghosh, who has been associated with shows such as XXX Season 1 and Dev DD. “If made responsibly and in a sane manner, such content can go on to do very well. Also, unlike theatres or TV, OTT isn’t about community or family viewing. It gives privacy, so one can consume such content without feeling awkward.”

Demand and supply
Experts, though, contend that the idea behind such shows shouldn’t be to only “titillate or excite.” “In foreign shows, there’s a lot of nudity and skin show but it’s all a part of the narrative, and that’s how it should be,” says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. “In India, the genre is new, mainly because OTT is getting bigger now. Plus, the streaming space gives the freedom to push such content due to no censorship.”

Probably that’s why, by now, a number of shows — high on erotica — such as Gandii Baat, Panchali, Khul Ja Sim Sim, Kavita Bhabhi and Charmsukh among others have streamed on various OTT platforms. “Why are we becoming so painfully shy? After all, we are a land of Kamasutra. If there’s a need for erotica in the storyline, why not? Also, such shows are doing well because audiences are starved of such content from other platforms,” says ad guru Prahlad Kakar.

Lockdown effect
In India, such shows — almost always — come with their set of controversies/talking points. Bhasker-starrer Rasbhari, for example, was also under fire. “Nobody bats an eyelid to adult sex comedies (with men) but when you have a show about a woman, who is celebrating her sexuality, then everyone talks about Indian values, culture and the future of children,” the actor said recently.

Experts feel the viewership for adult shows is most likely to have gone up during the lockdown. “With OTT having been the preferred platform for entertainment now, such shows may have seen a spike in viewership. But to keep people hooked these shows can’t just be about erotica,” says Adarsh.
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Censoring OTT?
Unlike films and TV, OTT platforms aren’t under the purview of censorship/regulation. There has been a lot of talk about ‘a self-regulatory mechanism’ and ‘possibility of censorship’. But creators feel the authorities “should give audiences the freedom” to choose. “Right now, makers are trying new things since it’s a new platform. Soon, they’ll settle down. Makers must self-regulate but viewers should also have the option to watch or skip shows as per their wish,” says Ghosh.

Remember the days when Bollywood hid behind metaphors of buzzing bees and touching flowers? Cut to the current crop of web shows breaking our prudish norms with everything from bisexuality to bondage
Sonam Joshi (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 7, 2019)

Earlier this year, when actress Flora Saini was getting an ice cream in Mumbai, the cashier said she’d seen her somewhere. Saini asked her if she was referring to her role as a ghost in last year’s critically acclaimed film Stree. No, she’d recognised her from the web series Gandii Baat 2, where Saini plays a domestic worker who has an affair with her male employer and when he betrays her, she transfers her affection to his wife. The two women then rule the household.

“I didn’t think a woman would be watching it,” says Saini, who is part of a growing tribe of actors unafraid to darebare on screen. “That tells you a lot about how society is changing.”

In a country where Bollywood showed two flowers touching as a metaphor for a kiss and sanskaari censor boards snipped smooches even from a James Bond film, homegrown streaming platforms such as MX Player, AltBalaji, Vikram Bhatt’s VB On the Web, Ullu and hoichoi are churning out potboilers on couple-swapping, threesomes, friends with benefits, same-sex relationships and bondage.

Apart from the freedom of censorship online, Paromita Vohra, a filmmaker who runs a digital sex education project called Agents Of Ishq, says it also has to do with the privacy of the internet. “Things you could not watch with the entire family are more comfortably watched alone on your phone, tablet or laptop.”

While there’s no denying that some shows are using sex to get eyeballs, it does go beyond that. Flora Saini, who has also starred in erotic web series such as XXX: Uncensored and Wanna Have a Good Time, says that the growing number of women directors, producers and writers is putting female desires centrestage. On a personal front, she says the roles helped her get over body consciousness. “I was a fat child and when I went to audition and saw the other gorgeous aspirants, I thought I had no chance,” she says. “My selection and the audience’s response helped me become more comfortable with my body.” Professionally, the Gandii Baat role boosted her career like nothing had.

It’s not just the female actors who are pushing the envelope. For instance, Made In Heaven normalises homosexual desire in a way that few shows have done before. Paras Tomar, who has acted in web series such as Four More Shots Please and 377 Ab Normal, says: “Initially it was shock value — pushing sex scenes and gaalis (cuss words) when it wasn’t needed just because they could do it. Now it’s become more toned down, more real and organic,” he says.

When Naina Ganguly got a chance to make her screen debut in Bengali streaming platform hoichoi’s Charitraheen, a modern-day adaption of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya’s novel, she didn’t hesitate even though it involved intimate scenes. “I decided I had to be confident and natural whether it was a kiss or a bedroom scene,” she says. Vishnu Mohta, co-founder of hoichoi, says that the erotic drama has been one of its most successful web series.

The Tamil web series F*ck Buddies on MX Player was inspired by the real-life story of Jayesh Calpakkam and Jikki Nair, a live-in couple who are the show’s writers, directors and stars. “Our show focuses on the current norms of romance for millennials, to simply portray life as it is,” says Nair.

However, not everyone is fine with this sexual liberation. In 2018, actor Rajshri Deshpande was trolled for a few scenes involving frontal nudity and sexual intimacy with co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the Netflix series Sacred Games. “I know I’m not degrading women. I know my job, my craft,” she says. “A naked woman on screen is more beautiful than people ogling at a woman in a salwar kameez.”

Kyra Dutt, who acted in Alt Balaji’s XXX: Uncensored, says that audiences need to be ready for female characters who are in control of their sexuality. “We have item songs, raunchy moves and dirty dialogues in films. It is even acceptable for male actors to be eve teasing, but when you talk about sex openly, or have a female protagonist who is confident about her sexuality, it is a problem,” says Dutt, one of the first actresses in Bollywood to sign a nudity clause before appearing in three nude scenes in XXX in 2015. “As an actor, we should know what we’re getting into,” she says.

Post #MeToo, Hollywood has started hiring intimacy coordinators for sex scenes. However, in India, female actors are still vulnerable to exploitation by producers who use sex as titillation. Two years ago, Kajal Shankhawar agreed to do a web series about a boss who falls in love with her younger male intern, after struggling for a few years. Her first scene involved a kiss. “You need a day or at least a few hours to understand the co-actor,” she says. She was also in for a rude shock when the show was released. “I was prepared for a kissing scene, but they included semi-nude wide shots rather than close-ups,” she says. “They also added moaning sounds which wasn’t me. I didn’t want to be shown like this.” The clips went viral in her hometown Etawah, where many criticised her for doing the show. “I’m more careful now and even sit at the editing table,” she says.

It is important to agree upon everything mutually in advance, says Rangita Pritish Nandy, who created the Amazon show Four More Shots Please which shows four women, including a bisexual character, exploring their sexuality. “Scripts and intimate scenes must be descriptive, references shared, conversations encouraged so that every apprehension of a creator/director/show-runner and actor is addressed before you get onto a set,” she says. “Contracts must be transparent. Blindsiding an actor must not be encouraged.”

Saini says it also helps to have a closed set, with only crew members who are required for the scene and monitors turned off or facing a wall to ensure there is no peeping. When she was shooting a kissing scene with another female actor for the first time, it helped that the director had briefed them to finish it in one take. Another set had banners and brochures proclaiming that it was a ‘work safe’ area and offering redressal for workplace complaints.

“Sex is normal. It’s when we stick it behind doors that problems explode,” says Nandy, whose show includes a masturbation scene and the characters screaming ‘vagina’ on Marine Drive.

Can these web shows help push social boundaries, normalise conversations around sex and desire and make them less taboo? “When stories reflect experience — either lived experience or fantasies for which we may otherwise be shamed — they create a sense of liberation for the human spirit,” says Vohra.


TITILLATION OR BREAKING TABOOS? (Clockwise) Stills from Charitraheen, Gandii Baat 2 and F*ck Buddies

Ekta Kapoor on her upcoming wedding film and the stories she enjoys telling through different media
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 7, 2018)

Veere Di Wedding had eyebrows raising with its first trailer thanks to its badass girl gang. You’re pushing the envelope with this film...
My co-producer Rhea Kapoor came to me with two other stories but I knew that this was the one because it’s not your typical ‘inspiring’ movie. But I wouldn’t say we are pushing the envelope because when four girlfriends get together, this is the way they’d act and react. I guess people are not used to girls discussing boys, drinking and having fun on screen so they’re flummoxed. It was cool for boys to discuss girls in Pyaar Ka Punchnama but when the gender changes, it becomes a dysfunctional, feminist film. If that’s the way it’s perceived, so be it. I know men going “aah” will watch the film, and the women going “oh” will definitely watch it too.

It’s heartening that you chose to wait for Kareena Kapoor to have her baby and get back to acting even though it meant delaying the film by a year.
Kareena was having a baby, that’s no reason for her to not have a career. But more than me, it’s Rhea who held on to the finances for so long. I had opted out, albeit reluctantly, because with two flops and three piracy issues, I had no money to put into movies. So though Veere Di Wedding is an entertaining film with a decent budget that’ll be covered through pre-sales, I had to exit because I was in a different career space.

Then?
Then, I went with mum (Shobha Kapoor) to buy a new car and she told me to buy the best one. I turned around and said I could do without a car, but I wanted this movie. So just before it went back into the market, mom called Anil sir (Kapoor) who assured her that this film would be made only by the girls.

You must enjoy taking risk. You took one earlier too with Lipstick Under My Burkha.
Every studio Prakash Jha (producer) had approached turned him down. Then, he ran into my brother Tusshar in Tirupati and told him he wanted me to take on the film for his sake. When director Alankrita (Shrivastav) came to show the film to me, she offered to wait but I sent her away. However, to my surprise, I realised that I liked the film’s language. I not only took it on but for the first time, gave three weeks to promoting it as the film needed a wide release. The biggest word of the decade is ‘acceptance’ and it’s important for us to accept that a section of our women are oppressed and need liberation.

You’re now collaborating with Bareilly Ki Barfi director, Ashwini Iyer Tiwari?
Yes, we’re doing two films, one she is mentoring, the other directing.

Why Sajid Ali’s Laila Majnu?
When Imtiaz sir (Ali) who’s scripted it, narrated this interesting modern-day adaptation of the eternal love story, I had to back the film. I don’t know how commercial it is as it doesn’t have stars but it has a soul and it’s wonderful to see Imtiaz sir take ownership for it.

Even though Abhishek Kapoor is your cousin, your mother had been against you collaborating with him on Kedarnath. You finally let the film go to Ronnie Screwvala.
I handle only the creative side of the business while mom looks after the finances. Every project has to be viable because being a public limited company, we’re answerable to the board and the shareholders. I was ready to produce Kedarnath even in that budget because I know it’s a wonderful film and having seen it, I can say that it’s going to be Ronnie and Gattu’s best film. It will make Sara (Ali Khan) a superstar and take Sushant (Singh Rajput) to another level.

You’ve also lost your Naagin to films…
Mouni (Roy) was getting good offers but was ready to turn them down if I wanted her to do another season of Naagin. But you have to let people grow and explore. She’s doing my biggest digital show.

Meanwhile, you’re going mental with Kangana Ranaut from next month?
No one has made a film like Mental Hai Kya in India before. It talks of mental illness and the madness inherent in all of us with a level of irreverence. I needed two actors without inhibitions for it. Rajkummar (Rao) and Kangana were always part of the script because it takes courage to let go. I wouldn’t make the film without Kangana. I like the way she owns her space and asks pertinent questions. If she didn’t, she’d be just a prop. But she also respects the writer and director and doesn’t cross the line.

Your choice of films is fascinating. There’s also a biopic on ‘Amul Man’ Dr Varghese Kurien?
I’ve been waiting to make this film for 10 years. At one time a big star showed interest, but things didn’t work out and I went back to TV. It’s still as relevant because Dr Kurien was the first to utilise village women as untapped resources to trigger the White Revolution. I’m excited to be telling one of India’s biggest success stories with Shree Narayan Singh sir. I don’t know about versatility, but I enjoy telling different stories and have had over 1 lakh episodes aired on TV. I believe every story chooses its medium and today I have the opportunity to dabble in all three platforms.

What’s happening with Ken Ghosh’s XXX?
I really like that film because more than sex, it’s a look at today’s world. But many feel the content is too adult. It’ll be sad if I can’t release it.

There’s another wedding film, Shotgun Shaadi...
That’s my Grease Lightning (a 1977 American biographical film of champion race driver Wendell Scott) in today’s times with Sid (Sidharth Malhotra). Set in a small town of North India, it’s my most massy film.

Meanwhile, there’s a real wedding happening, Sonam Kapoor’s. Tell us about it?
Sonam and I only share a surname, we’re not related so all I can tell you is that I’ve lost my producer to her sister’s wedding. (Laughs) But no stress, I wish her all the best.

And when is Ekta di wedding happening?
Two years after Sallu (Salman Khan) bhai’s.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 16, 2016)

Ekta Kapoor’s Ken Ghosh-directed erotic film XXX which has been creating buzz as the film that the production house claimed is pushing boundaries in bold content, even inserting a nudity clause in their actors’ contracts (Mirror, April 9, 2015), is yet to see the light of day.

Featuring newbies Kyra Dutt, Aparnaa Bajpai, Pryanca Talukdar and Aparna Sharma in prominent roles, the film was initially set for a release last year on July 3 (pegged as a ‘lucky day’ by Ekta as one of her flagship shows, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, took off on the same date in 2000). Now, Mirror has learnt that the film is on the backburner with the makers considering a release on Balaji’s soon to be launched app, ALT.

According to a source associated with the project, the film was shot and completed a year ago and the makers had informed the team about plans to release it in mid-2016 but have now gone incommunicado. “Around May-June we were informed that the film should release in the next couple of months but there has been no update after that. Everybody from the film’s team seems to be equally clueless,” the source added.

While Ken Ghosh said he had “no idea about the release of the film”, Sameer Nair, group CEO of Balaji telefilms clarified that the delay in release was not pertaining to censor issues. “There are various shows being planned for ALT which we will announce one by one. As of now, there are no plans for XXX on the app. XXX has been completed and is in post-production. We haven’t given it’s release much thought yet but it won’t happen anytime soon. We are currently busy with TV, preparing for ALT, among other things.”

DNA (March 7, 2016)

In recent times there have been reports that XXX directed by Ken Ghosh, has been stuck with the Censor Board for the past three months because of it’s explosive, steamy and suggestive content. Rumours suggest that the film ran into trouble when it applied for the certificate and the censor board refused to give them a certificate. There are whispers about the producers planning to release the film online. Ken however rubbishes the rumour. “I have been hearing this too but the fact is we are still finishing the post-production work like dubbing and editing so how can we submit a copy to the Censor Board when the film is not yet complete?” CBFC chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani, echoes Ken’s words, “We are yet to receive any print titled XXX for certification so the question of it getting held doesn’t hold.” So who’s behind these rumours?

While his girlfriend Deepika Padukone is taking the Holly plunge, Ranveer Singh feels he’s not ready for it yet... 
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 9, 2016)


While Deepika is still tight-lipped about her entry into Hollywood, boyfriend Ranveer has indirectly given us the confirmation. “I feel very happy for Deepika and I am very proud of her”, he says. Does he have any Hollywood aspirations too? “Not at all,” he shoots back.

Almost every actor dreams of working in Hollywood, so why not? Ranveer explains, “I really want to focus on Hindi films right now. Bachpan se, I wanted to be a mainstream Hindi film hero and I’m very happy doing Hindi films. I genuinely love what I am doing, and where I am today. In five years, Bajirao Mastani is only my eighth movie and I am doing some of the biggest films today. So right now, there’s a lot for me to do in the gamut of Hindi films. So, before I do regional or Western films, I want to do some prominent Hindi films first. Not that I am closed to such films, but I am satisfied with what I am doing. There are a lot more people I want to collaborate with, a lot more Bollywood films I want to be a part of. Right now, I don’t feel there’s enough for me to do,” he reasons.

 
Upala KBR (DNA; August 6, 2015)

Ekta Kapoor’s XXX is giving nothing away, save for the fact that Ken Ghosh will be directing several newcomers in the film. The title by itself is giving rise to much speculation. Most feel it’s an erotic thriller, replete with sex and nudity. We’ve found out that the film is segmented into a series of short stories. One of these stories has a penis talking to a vagina.

Chhoti Kahaniyaan
A source reveals, “XXX centers around five short stories revolving around very strong women characters. The film begins with two people telling each other stories. Each story, while under the guise of erotica, tell a tale that comprises a message. The genre of each story is different — from edgy, to thriller, quirky, romantic and even comic. While people are assuming that XXX revolves around erotica and sex, the fact is sex is just a part of each story and moves it forward.”

Kya bolti tu!
About the ‘private’ conversations tale, the source says, “The story about a conversation between a male and female sexual organ, is very quirky in its take.” Adds the source, “There are no double-meaning dialogues in the film, nor is it a sex comedy. It’s a new-age, one-of-its-kind film, something neither Ekta nor Ken haven’t attempted before. The stories have been written by Ken, Tanveer Bookwala (Chief Creative Officer at Balaji Motion Pictures) and writer-actor Mayank Tiwari, who also plays a character in XXX.”

Music matters
The film is complete except for a couple of songs and post production. “In the music department too, Ken and Ekta wanted to be different. Ken apparently listened to 100 songs before finalising four, all composed by new music directors and sung by new-age singers. The music is said to be outstanding as all four are party songs. The uniqueness of the songs are that despite being party songs, none of them have the words daaru or mention of any type of alcohol in the lyrics!”

We turn the spotlight on a bunch of new girls in Bollywood, who come with no pretension and no inhibitions
Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; May 24, 2015)

Bollywood is witnessing a surge of fresh-faced actresses who don’t mind going risqué in their very first role. The films they are part of, not only require enacting intimate scenes or wearing skimpy outfits, but even signing a nudity clause. Producer Ekta Kapoor has incorporated a nudity clause in her upcoming erotic thriller XXX, directed by Ken Ghosh. The nudity clause means any actor becomes legally bound to expose as much as he or she is asked to according to the demand of the script. It also includes shooting intimate scenes and use of explicit language. hitlist spoke to these girls with guts...

Manasvi Mamgai
When I signed for my debut film Action Jackson (2014), I knew my character had to wear skimpy outfits, but I was told that it would be shot in an aesthetic way. I didn’t really have inhibitions because my co-star was Ajay Devgn and director was Prabhu Dheva. When you are told that there is a demand for bold scenes, you have to see what the set up is. My parents were fine when I told them about my bold character in the film. Times have changed and exposing is not that big an issue anymore. There are so many bold movies being made nowadays, but they are shot aesthetically. Signing a nudity clause is a bit extreme and I am not too sure if I would sign it. If it’s a sex comedy then I wouldn’t do it. I am not comfortable with that genre.


Sneha Arun
I make my debut in XXX and during the audition, I was extremely uncomfortable. I decided to turn back, but then I was told to give it a try. It went bad, but I got it right the second time. I was really nervous. My mind was prepared, but my body was not ready for it. I am a theatre artiste, but enacting the bold scenes made me hesitant. After 20 days I got a call saying I had been selected. I immediately called my parents and told them about the film and the role. They asked me if I was okay doing it. I looked upon it as an actor doing work. I started watching Sunny Leone’s videos as part of my preparation. I am confident about doing the role, though I don’t know if I will be comfortable. After meeting the film’s director Ken Ghosh, I was fine. Coming from a Pune-based Maharashtrian family, it is a big deal, but my parents said that you act and we will take care of the rest. Often we think we are mentally prepared, but when the scene happens we are not. The shoot was done in absolute privacy. Ekta Kapoor and Ken Ghosh made sure that very few people were on the sets and that there were mostly females on the set. I treated my co-actor as if he was mine and not just a co-star — that’ s how the intimate scenes came out really well. I am a shy, homely person but the fact is I had been looking for opportunities since the last four years. I started acting when I came to Mumbai in 2011, took up dance classes and did theatre. I have done a couple of reality shows. There are thousands of aspiring actresses and are good looking, but very few can act. I was hesistant initially but I believe in destiny, I think I was at the right place at the right time. When I heard about the nudity clause, I did go numb for a moment. I thought I am going to be naked. To avoid us backing out later or changing our minds, the makers incorporated the nudity clause.


Mannara Chopra
After I shot for a South film, I went for a few auditions one of which was my Bollywood debut Zid (2014) – an erotic thriller. I auditioned twice and brushed up on my Hindi. When I was selected and told about the bold scenes, I agreed as long as I could watch the film with my family. I would not, however, sign a nudity clause. I haven’t set any limits, but would prefer doing roles which families can watch.


Kyra Dutt
After I did the Kingfisher calendar in 2013, I began modelling and started auditioning for films. I also enrolled at Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares. As a model, I am comfortable with my body, but I did give it a lot of thought when I was selected for XXX. There were three rounds of auditions. When I was told that I have bagged the role, I called my parents first. In our family, girls are pushed to realise their ambitions. When I told them about XXX, they were happy that I got my first break with Balaji. As for the nudity clause, I knew what I was getting into, so it was not a big deal for me. The DoP of the film is a woman — when you know there is a woman behind the camera you automatically become comfortable.


Pryanca Talukdar
I am from Kolkata and started modelling a year back. XXX is my Bollywood debut. Ken called me for the role and I auditioned. When he told me about the film and the requirements of the role, being a model I was pretty comfortable with wearing a bikini. Later, he told me that there was more to it, so I told him to give me time to think. I spoke to my family and they said go ahead. I still can’t believe that I am doing a film. So many people come to Mumbai every day to become actors; they struggle for years. Now that I am doing this film, I am not thinking whether I should have started with a bold film. My dad still does not know the name of the film. My mom is an actress in the north-east. She has told me to not keep thinking that your father or brother is watching it – take it as a role and give it your best shot. India is accepting such genre of films now.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 8, 2015)

When Sushant Singh Rajput made his big Bollywood debut with Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che! in 2013, television czarina Ekta Kapoor, promised his co-star from Pavitra Rishta that she would launch him in Bollywood with equal fanfare. Two years later, Rithvik Dhanjani, who starred alongside Sushant in the popular soap for six years, will make his debut in Ken Ghosh's erotica, XXX, being produced by Ekta.

"Rithvik play a casanova with magical powers that has girls flocking to him," reveals a source close to the film.

The TV actor who won Nach Baliye Season 6 last year, is the first male actor to sign Ekta's much-talked-about nudity clause. Kyra Dutt was the first actress to sign on the dotted line. Rithvik has agreed to a full frontal nude scene. "You will definitely catch a glimpse of his bare butt in the film. But still, the girls will reveal a lot more than the guys," adds the source.

In an interview to Mirror (April 8), writer-director Ken Ghosh had revealed that XXX has five different stories with Kyra as the narrator. Now, Mirror has learnt that Rithvik's character, a charismatic vagabond, too will appear in all the five stories which will see him have four different sexual escapades.

""His character binds the stories together and steams up the screen with not one but multiple actresses," reveals the source.

So where will Ekta and Ken draw the line?

"There will be no depiction of oral sex! Even with clever cinematography, neither Ken nor Bollywood is ready to handle the kind of sex scenes we've seen in Hollywood films like Basic Instict, Wild Things and Blue Valentine."

In an exclusive chat with hitlist, Sunny Leone opens up about her image in Bollywood while reflecting on her three- year journey in the film industry here
Sonup Sahadevan (MID-DAY; June 5, 2015)

Is your upcoming film, Kuch Kuch Locha Hai the usual Sunny Leone film?
No, it’s a family story that centers on innocent, funny situations involving Ram Kapoor and his family.

So why has it got an ‘A’ certificate from the Censor Board?
We are in the process of getting that decision repealed.

How do you look at your journey in Bollywood so far?
I feel I have arrived and carved my own path without any help. A lot of people in the industry would love nothing more than seeing me fall on my face. Some actors are unwilling to work with me and others want to work with me either because of my name or my professionalism.

What kind of people want you to trip and fall?
I don’t know. I wasn’t born here. I think my fans follow me because of everything that I have done in my life. My fan base didn’t build up in the last three years; it started 14 years ago.

You had once talked about wives of married superstars being insecure and not wanting their husbands to work with you. Do you see it changing?
Yes, I said that, but didn’t mean anybody in particular. These are things I hear, but it could well be a whole lie. I think things will change and being Sunny Leone I will have to believe in that.

Will this ‘not-so-Disney’ perception of yours here ever change?
Perceptions about me will change based on my acting skills and box-office numbers. Hope it happens quickly because people are choosy right now.

Does it bother you that people here still associate you with your past baggage unlike in the US?
I am not that famous in the US. Here I can’t even turn round the corner without being recognised. The same thing happened to Kim Kardashian in America after her sex tape was leaked. Everywhere people scrutinise everybody. It depends on your level of fame.

Do you feel at home in Bollywood?
I live in a bubble here. I wake up every morning, go to shoot and come back. I don’t live in reality when I am working.

What’s happening between you and Ekta Kapoor?
Nothing. Why?

Buzz is all is not well between you both?
I don’t speak to Ekta, but I have great respect for her. She represents change and is a pioneer on a subject that nobody wants to deal with. Her movie (XXX) is bold from what I hear and is crossing limits that are yet to be crossed. Is that something I may agree with? May be not, because I don’t want to go down that road again.

So is it over with Ekta?
If we meet at a party, we will talk. I have worked with Tusshar Kapoor in Mastizaade and he never told me, ‘Oh, my sister doesn’t like you’. It was just a working relationship that I shared with Ekta.

(From left) Pryanca Talukdar, Aparnaa Bajpai and Aparna Sharma
Sonup Sahadevan (MID-DAY; April 28, 2015)

Ekta Kapoor's erotic  thriller XXX has got three more fresh-faced beauties on board. While the makers have already signed former calendar girl Kyra Dutt, we now hear that the movie will feature Aparnaa Bajpai, Pryanca Talukdar and Aparna Sharma.

There is much hype surrounding the casting process as Ekta has introduced a hitherto unheard of nudity clause so that the actors do not demur about shooting explicit sex scenes or mouthing titillating dialogues at the last minute.

While Aparnaa has had her tryst with Bollywood courtesy Horror Story (2013) and has appeared in a few movies down south, the other two are relatively new to films. Pryanca is a model from Kolkata and was last in news for her relationship relationship with TV actor Ashish of Saath Nibhana Saathiya fame. Aparna, on the other hand, is a former Miss India finalist and a ramp model.

Confirming her presence in the film, Pryanca says, “Yes. I am essaying the lead in one of the stories in XXX. That’s all I can say right now.” The other two actresses couldn’t be reached for comment.

“The three girls have signed the nudity clause,” reveals a unit hand.

The calendar girl insists nothing can go wrong with a nude scene when you trust your director.
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 25, 2015)

Ekta Kapoor's upcoming erotic drama, XXX, was making headlines even before it went on the floors with director, Ken Ghosh announcing to Mirror (April 8) that the debutant actors will have to sign a contract with a 'nudity clause' to make sure that later they did not demur about shooting explicit, sex charged scenes or mouthing titillating lines. Kingfisher Calendar model, Kyra Dutt, is the first actress to agree to the "techno-legal clause" for her Bollywood debut.

The film is a compilation of five different stories, each one exploring a different aspect of sexuality. Kyra plays the glamorous narrator who binds the four other shorts together. The 24-year-old model-turned-actress has already started shooting for the film and is unabashed about filming a full frontal nude scene.

"I'm extremely confident about my body and I know nothing can go wrong with a nude scene when you trust your director completely. Ken is a cinematographer and editor first, and I know I am in safe hands," she asserts.

She adds that the plot is as mysterious as her chameleon-like character whose look changes in every story. "Its only in the climax that you know who my character was related to," she says, adding that the film will take eroticism head on. "I have been asked to leave my inhibitions behind. And I'm willing to give it my all because how long can actresses play the girl-next-door? People are bored of that stereotype. Ekta Kapoor with Ken Ghosh is bringing to the Hindi film screen a genre Bollywood has been afraid of tapping till now."

And isn't she afraid of the repercussions of going bold and brazen with her very first screen appearance? "The scene I will be shooting, would have got me branded either as an 'Indie film actress' or a 'sleazy star'. Thanks to XXX, I'll be neither," she signs off.

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; April 17, 2015)

Ken Ghosh recently took on the mantle of director for Ekta Kapoor’s erotic drama, XXX. If the latest buzz is to be believed, he had approached Shahid Kapoor to be part of the project, which will have five stories exploring various aspects of sexual relationships. However, the actor is said to have turned down the offer from Ghosh, who had launched him in Ishq Vishk (2003).

“Shahid’s date diary is choc-a-bloc and moreover, he is not keen on getting into the erotic genre,” explains a source, adding that the director is now sulking.

“At a recent get- together, he was asked about Shahid and he mentioned that he was upset with him for not agreeing to do the film,” the source states.

Ghosh, however, dismisses the buzz. “Why should I be ( upset) when he was never part of the film?” he asks.

A source close to Shahid also insists that all is well between the director-actor duo, stating: “When he has chosen projects like Haider and Shandaar, why will he choose a semi-porn film? And everything is fine between them.”

Shahid denies the story, saying: “I was never offered any such film.”

This is to ensure that the actors who sign up with her will not be able to object to any sexually-charged scene or provocative dialogue in the script when on the sets
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 8, 2015)

The Central Board of Film Certification's snipping scissors may have scared away several filmmakers but Ekta Kapoor is going ahead with an erotica titled XXX.

Starring all new faces, it is a compilation of five different stories, each one exploring a different aspect of sexuality. And to ensure that none of the debutants can later demur about shooting explicit, sex-charged scenes or mouthing titillating lines, the producer has inserted what is being referred to as the 'nudity clause' in their contract.

Confirming this, director Ken Ghosh told Mirror, "We have already had lots of discussions on how things would be shot and we do not want any problems during the filming. So we decided it was best to put in on paper as a techno-legal clause."

Reportedly, adult star, Sunny Leone had refused to perform a few sequences for Ragini MMS, produced under Ekta's banner. And keeping that in mind, this time she's taken steps to ensure that there will be no last-minute tears and tantrums.

"We are pushing the envelope with this film. Erotica as a genre has been passed off under the guise of thrillers, murder mysteries and horror films for years. This time it's a straight and in-your-face genre. So, we have to be a little cautious," he reasons. Ask him if they are looking at full-frontal nudity and Ken retorts, "We are keeping all our options open."

This 'nudity clause' will not be restricted to XXX alone. Any actor who signs up with Ekta will have to toe this line.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 13, 2015)

Subhash K Jha (DNA; February 9, 2015)

It is exit time for Ram Gopal Varma. The one Hindi project that he had on hand, XES (that's the mirror image of the word 'Sex') has now gone to ad and feature maker Ken Ghosh. The project is now titled , ahem ahem, XXX. And there are six stories in the film.

So are we looking at an extended sex binge on screen? Says Ken, "I can't promise steamy sex in every story. But yes, sex , or its aftermath or longing for sex would be the basic premise." As for the sexual content on screen apparently the film would have more of it than any Hindi film so far. Says Ken, "Well, the stories are about sex. So we can't be coy. I've always wanted to work within the bed space. We will have 5-6 stories. But right now there are 12-13 stories that we are looking at.We want to finally select five-six stories
that would do justice to the theme of sex and erotica."

Ken feels the genre has been much-abused in the past. "When you think of erotic content a certain visual image comes to mind. This needn't be so. Erotica needn't be cheesy. Our film will prove that. The fact that we have a female producer automatically brings some restraint to the content." Ken compares the format of XXX to Anurag Basu's Life In A Metro. "In both there are concurrent tracks in the stories. And yet the characters do converge."

Since there are as many as six stories the casting would elaborate. Says Ken, "We are not really looking at established stars. There may be many newcomers in my film.The film has to be cost effective."