The Depiction of Physical Intimacy in Bollywood

Poster of Mohit Suri's Malang

Just a few nights ago, I was watching the film Malang with my family. From a critical standpoint, the film was strictly average; the premise of the film was akin to old wine just being packaged in a more aesthetically appealing bottle. Part of what made this film an average box office success was undoubtedly the location in which the film was shot (Goa), the dazzling cinematography and elegant production design which helped put Disha Patani’s words, “to live life from one high to another”, into perspective, and the sexual chemistry that was exhibited by both Kapur and Patani. As so-called “Western influences” start creeping into film-making here in India, it’s worth taking a closer look into how audiences have responded to the increased prevalence of one particular Western-inspired influence, sex and nudity, in Indian cinema as well as how directors and producers have come to depict the more physical component associated with love and attraction.

Prior to the turn of the century, romantically-inclined films (many of the iconic Shah Rukh Khan films in particular) released in Bollywood were apt reflections of prevailing societal perceptions of how love and intimacy should be conveyed throughout the progression of the movie. Deeply embracing hugs, long and emotional stares into each other’s eyes, and well-rehearsed monologues delivered by the protagonists were staples of these films prior to the prevalence of genuine sexual intimacy. These actions were viewed as acceptable because of their perceived “moral appropriateness”; they weren’t corrupting the minds of the audience and depicting anything promiscuous or revealing. Thus, it is not surprising that many facets of Indian society perceived more “provocative” actions, such as liplocks/passionate kissing scenes, partial nudity, and enactment of sexual activity as being more morally reprehensible and disgusting. What is perplexing and honestly ironic, however, is how directors chose to depict the romantic chemistry between the leads during a song sequence. It seemed to be perfectly acceptable for the lead actor to caress his female counterpart all over within the premise of a song, yet expressing genuine physical intimacy with his female counterpart was a big no-no. Societally condoning representing affection and passion akin to exploiting a woman’s sexuality as opposed to shunning specific film sequences in which mutually consenting individuals are expressing their love for one another on the basis of them being “physically inappropriate” is, in my opinion, one of the biggest hypocrisies that has lingered around in this industry.

Eventually, a young man by the name of Emraan Hashmi started sending shockwaves throughout the Bollywood industry and Indian society in general with his more risque chemistry that he flaunted with his female counterparts. Films such as Murder, Aashiq Banaya Aapne, and Aksar started depicting physical and sexual chemistry like the industry hadn’t witnessed before. Hashmi started earning the nickname of being the designated “Serial-Kisser”, but that did not deter him from boldly making the statement that such intimate scenes aren’t to be shrouded from the facade of maintaining more traditionalistic, “Puritan-like” depictions of romantic expression. His films and respective roles were instrumental in sparking a sense of societal cognitive dissonance over what they had been perceived to view as ethically and morally acceptable versus what they were increasingly witnessing on screen.

Consequently, it has become more and more prevalent for physical and sexual intimacy to be displayed on screen after directors and producers realized that more and more individuals were watching these films. Certain directors, such as Mohit Suri and Mahesh Bhatt, were able to really make their mark on the Bollywood industry by making more and more films that were more focused on depicting the passion associated with physically intimate scenes. Alongside increased commercialization of Indian society, an emphasis for younger generations to start expressing their individuality and repressed freedoms, and the technological advancements that have come to shape India, more and more individuals have now come to the realization that it is acceptable and normal to depict physically intimate and sexual scenes in Bollywood films. Moreover, these individuals have started to experience a cognitive restructuring of sorts that expressing this kind of physical intimacy is nothing to be ashamed or psyched out about. There are valid relationships to explore with regards to how this shift has impacted the overall perception of sexuality, whether individuals perceive each other in a more sexual manner, and more; these relationships will be explored in subsequent posts. However, it is important to note that these perspectives and views may also be products of other more problematic social constructs that they’ve come to accept and adhere to.

Significant progress has indeed been made within certain Indian film industries when depicting genuine sexual intimacy. However, a considerable amount of work still needs to be accomplished with bringing certain segments of Indian society together and letting these individuals know that there’s significantly more to expressing love and affection than the exchange of starry eyes, the seemingly forced physical contact during the interlude of a romantic song, and holding hands/exchanging hugs with one another. It will take time, but I’m confident that these segments of society will evolve and learn to appreciate the fiery passion that is on display with individuals on screen.