‘It’s tricky shooting intimacy’

Gulshan Devaiah’s Hunterr hits theatres this week. He tells us about his character in the film and more. Your character in Hunterr seems to use a lot of sexual innuendos… Mandar Ponkshe is a middleclass Mumbaikar who is average in every aspect except for his appetite for sexual relationships. He goes about it in a very discreet manner. There is a slang term for guys like him in Mumbai: ‘Vaasu’. What did you think about the idea of dedicating the film to Lord Kamdev? Since it’s about the lustful journey of Mandar, I think it’s cool to dedicate it to Lord Kamdev. Not much is dedicated to this rather neglected Hindu god. Usually, it’s the gods like Ganpati, Shiva and so on, to whom everything is dedicated! Did you have any awkward moments while filming the intimate scenes? It’s tricky shooting intimacy because it has to look and feel real but the actors are faking it… Well there is a line one does not cross. It’s very important that the actors are comfortable with each other and are fully convinced about what they need to do. Of course, there are a few tricks I employ, but those are my trade secrets! How did your wife react to your role? My wife completely understands that it’s a part of my job. She’s an actress too and gets more attention than me. She thinks the character is cute. What’s your take on all the bans and censorship happening currently? I think everybody is struggling with the concept of what censorship should be and what it should not and whether or not we need censorship. I think there is a progressive move about this that will happen soon. Both the film industry and CBFC need to listen to each other and respond rather than react impulsively.