There’s a new job that’s been created in the entertainment industry and the title for it is ‘Intimacy Coordinator’, also Bollywood needs to start hiring people for it ASAP.
But first, here’s how the need for an ‘Intimacy Coordinator’ came about according to an article in Rolling Stone:
- Emily Meade, an actor from HBO’s The Deuce (based on the American porn industry of the 1970s), had always felt uneasy - physically and emotionally, about doing sex scenes, but it was an inevitable part of her job.
- In the background of the Me Too movement in Hollywood last year, Meade demanded from the execs at HBO, an ally or advocate on set who she could turn to when filming a sex scene.
- The HBO guys hired Alicia Rodis as the network’s first-ever ‘Intimacy Coordinator’. Rodis had cofounded a nonprofit that looked at normalising a set of standards and practices around the performance of sex scenes in theatre and film, and so was perfect for the job.
- Now, HBO has adopted a new policy by which ALL of its shows and movies which feature sex scenes will be supervised by an Intimacy Coordinator.
Emily Meade’s demand was reasonable enough, she questioned why stunt coordinators were nearly always on hand for small stunts, but no one had been enlisted to protect those involved in sex scenes. “When it comes to sexuality, which is one of the most vulnerable things for all humans, men and women, there’s really no system. There’s never been a person required to be there to protect and bring expertise," she had said.
Back home, the entire Tanushree Dutta - Nana Patekar controversy would have not existed if an Intimacy Coordinator were in place. From what was alleged, while shooting for a song in Horn Ok Pleassss, Nana Patekar had stepped in and incorporated some intimate dance moves with Tanushree Dutta on the day of the shoot. If an Intimacy Coordinator were doing his/her job - Tanushree would have been approached and asked if she was comfortable with the last minute changes in the steps of the song and if Tanushree put her foot down, the same would have been conveyed to the producer and director, bringing the matter to an end.
While an Intimacy Coordinator on the set of a film will also be resourcefully carrying skin coloured thongs, breath mints and antiseptic wipes among other things to make an actor’s life more comfortable during a sex scene, here’s how Alicia Rodis broadly explained her job, “I am here to give a voice to actors, especially actors who feel like they don’t have one. And I’m also here for the producers, to make sure that they know they’re doing their best to make sure the set is safe.”
While Indian films relatively don’t have the same degree of nudity or sex scenes as Hollywood does, given the raunchy item numbers that we have, the amount of last minute improvisations that take place on film scripts and the bourgeoning web content that goes out uncensored - an Intimacy Coordinator could just be the next thing that the desi entertainment industry needs.
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