‘Are we going to use tongue?’: Vishal Bhardwaj recalls awkward intimate scene, reveals why Lust Stories 3 was easier

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj emphasizes the importance of intimacy directors in shooting intimate scenes.

Shooting an intimate scene in a web show or film is never easy and requires filmmakers and actors to tread the boundary carefully. Recently, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, who has directed one of the segments of the anthology Lust Stories 3, starring Siddharth and Aditi Rao Hydari, spoke about filming intimate scenes for the show.

Aditi Rao Hydari in a still from Lust Stories 3.

The filmmaker spoke about the importance of having an intimacy director on set and said the presence of one is “incredible”. He explained that it liberates the filmmaker and makes such scenes much more comfortable to shoot. Bhardwaj admitted that, before intimacy directors became a part of film sets, shooting intimate scenes could be awkward. He said intimacy directors 'make life comfortable on set'.

‘Are we going to use tongue in this?’

Bhardwaj shared that before the concept of intimacy directors became common in Bollywood, it could be awkward for filmmakers and actors to handle such situations. Recalling one such instance, he told Variety India, “I remember actresses coming to me and asking, ‘Sir, are we going to use tongue in this? Can you ask the male actor?’ I mean, it’s very odd. I did ask the actor her question. Can you imagine how awkward that would be?”

Aditi Rao Hydari, Siddharth refused to use body doubles

Apart from having an intimacy director on set, what made shooting Lust Stories 3 easier was Bhardwaj directing real-life couple Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth in an intimate story.

Bhardwaj admitted that the two were comfortable with each other on set and, in one instance, even refused to use body doubles. He shared, “They were very comfortable with each other, of course, you know, because they are husband and wife. So 50% of that awkwardness went away. We had doubles for both of them. So in one shot, you know, we had the camera on her legs, and Siddharth had to crawl. When Aditi saw it, she said, ‘But my legs are not so fat.’”

The filmmaker shared that Aditi insisted on performing the shot herself, while Siddharth also stepped in to perform his part.

About Lust Stories 3

Lust Stories 3 is the third instalment of the Netflix anthology franchise. The film features four stories directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra, and Vishal Bhardwaj. The anthology explores different aspects of love, relationships, desire and intimacy. It also features other actors including Radhika Apte, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vijay Varma, Ali Fazal, Radhika Madan and others.