Actor Gulshan Devaiah has been garnering excellent reviews for his latest web series, “Perfect Family.” The actor filmed an intimate scene in the series with the current ‘National Crush,’ Girija Oak, and discussed the sensitivity and sensibility required for such scenes.
Navigating Intimate Scenes
“It’s always very difficult to do such scenes because there is a line that we cannot cross,” Gulshan remarked. He emphasized, “Simulating intimacy or violence is very tricky, as there is always a boundary you can’t go beyond, yet you still have to create the illusion of it being real. So, you must find ways to do it responsibly.”
Building trust is essential when working with co-stars. “When I am working with someone, they have to trust me, and I have to trust them so that we take care of each other. You have to build that trust quickly, especially when you don’t know the person very well.”
The Role of Intimacy Coordinators
Gulshan also discussed the role of intimacy coordinators on set. “Sometimes there are intimacy coordinators, like in ‘Ulajh’; we had one from the UK who guided us step-by-step through the process and made everyone feel comfortable. It’s a different matter that later three-quarters of those scenes were cut from the film! Nothing much remained in the final version, but that’s how it is sometimes.”
Reflecting on his experience, he noted, “Over time, I have become more experienced with such scenes. Back when we were shooting ‘Hate Story’ in 2012, there were no intimacy coordinators or anyone to help us navigate these things. We had to figure everything out on our own. Thankfully, I was working with Paoli Dam, who was very supportive and made me feel comfortable throughout.”
An Impressive Streak
Gulshan has been on a roll with back-to-back projects that have showcased his acting prowess. Addressing the current trend of casting based on social media followers, he said, “I don’t give a shit. It’s a trend. Is it valid? Does it have any real merit? I don’t know.”
He added, “I am not sure if all those followers are actually translating into subscriptions or ticket sales. I don’t know. But somebody who knows better than me is making these decisions, and maybe they think it’s a good idea to hire someone based on that.”
Despite this, Gulshan remains supportive of fellow actors, remarking, “Some of those people are actually pretty decent too; they are good actors. I don’t want to say anything negative about anyone. Everyone should find their own way.”
He provided an example from his own experience: “Now open my social media and see how many followers I have. I don’t even have 300K. Yet, I am getting work.”