"I’ve had some bad experiences with on-screen intimacy"
Manisha Koirala admitted that she has had reservations about on-screen chemistry in the past.
She revealed that she was apprehensive of the intimate scenes with Jaideep Ahlawat in Dibakar Banerjee’s segment in Netflix’s anthology film Lust Stories.
Manisha explained: “I had my reservations about the love-making scenes.
“I very frankly told Dibakar that I’ve had some bad experiences with on-screen intimacy in the past.
“I thought he would not be able to get around that problem.
“I was deeply impressed by Dibakar’s open-minded, responsive attitude.
“He listens to everyone, not just actors but also the crew.”
Manisha Koirala is coming off the release of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, where she had a couple of intimate scenes.
Portraying brothel madam Mallikajan, the first scene involved her and Shekhar Suman’s Nawab Zulfikar inside a carriage, which was not part of the script.
Manisha said: “I was in Nepal doing gardening when I got a call from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s office.
“Sanjay said on call, ‘Manisha there is a good role for you, just read the script’.
“I was so happy. I had stopped dreaming about working with him.
“See, every little thing Sanjay does, he tries to bring in a new element that we hadn’t thought of, and he does it. So even about this scene, when rehearsals were going on, it must have been new.”
Sharing his thoughts on the scene, Shekhar added:
“Sharing a scene with you which is unique and unthinkable, which might look ridiculous and bizarre on the face of it because of the apparent debauchery but underneath it lies the poignancy and pathos of a degenerated Nawab who is desperately hanging on to the last vestige of nobility and yet servile to the British Raj.
“Also aware that he is being used and manipulated by Mallikajan.
“The scene is laden with conflicting emotions, paradox and dichotomy.”
“The scene may look facile, but it is a scene that had to be enacted accurately and understandingly keeping its complexities in mind.”
Another was a sexual abuse scene with Jason Shah.
Jason said of the scene: “I was hesitant. The fighter master wanted me to slap her in a more realistic manner but I was very careful, I was watching my actions.
“I even flicked her nose ring off in one scene, it got that close.
“That’s what I was telling the fight master that if we are not in coordination, I might end up hurting her, and obviously, she is an older woman, so it is my responsibility and I had to take care.”
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