Marking his first time shooting physical intimacy on screen, Malik—who plays the character Birju Lohar opposite Dugal’s iconic Beena Tripathi—credited intimacy coordinator Ankita Poddar for transforming what could have been an awkward shoot into a respectful, highly choreographed exercise.
Establishing Touch Boundaries: "Where You Can and Cannot Touch"
Recounting the rehearsal sessions prior to rolling cameras, Malik explained how open conversations around consent removed anxiety from the equation:
“I have worked with an intimacy coordinator for the first time. It's so nice to ask the other person, as a co-actor, what you're comfortable with, where you can touch, and where you can't touch. And we did that exercise. Both of us went through, ‘I’m not comfortable with this,’ or ‘She’s not comfortable with that’. To ask permission—‘Can I do this?’—and to have someone directing that process makes an incredible difference.
Once you're comfortable with each other's bodies, it really puts your guard down. The intimacy workshop really worked.”
Dugal echoed his perspective, noting that having professional guidance ensures intimacy is treated with the same technical rigor as stunt choreography:
“It automatically becomes work. It’s not left to any interpersonal relationship. It was a properly skilled workshop where exercises were conducted beforehand. It’s not like you just arrive on set and try to wing it.”
Partner Dynamics: Conversations with Wife Aditi Malik
Addressing questions often posed to actors navigating intimate scenes, Malik shared that he maintained complete transparency with his wife, actress Aditi Shirwaikar Malik:
Pre-Shoot Communication: Malik walked his wife through the scene outlines before heading to set to ensure mutual comfort.
The Post-Screening Reaction: Recounting their conversation after she watched the film, Malik asked if she was comfortable with how the dynamic was depicted.
“She told me, ‘You’re an actor. It has to be a part of the character’s journey. It was important—otherwise, the scene wouldn’t have been there’.”
Industry Take:
As the Hindi film and OTT ecosystem continues to embrace complex, adult-themed relationship drama, Mohit Malik and Rasika Dugal’s candid breakdown illustrates the growing maturity of Indian production floors. Treating intimate choreography with the same logistical discipline, consent checks, and rehearsal standards as high-risk action sequences ensures psychological safety for performers while delivering far more convincing on-screen chemistry.
