Sayani Gupta calls for safer workspaces, says co-actor 'lingered on a kiss after cut'

Sayani Gupta shared unsettling on-set incidents, highlighting the need for intimacy coordinators, and calls for greater safety measures to protect actors in the entertainment industry.

In Short

• Sayani Gupta shares uncomfortable on-set experience with co-actor
• She highlights need for intimacy coordinators in film industry
• The actor recounts an incident on Goa beach feeling unsafe in short dress

Actor Sayani Gupta, known for her roles in Four More Shots Please, Margarita With A Straw, and Inside Edge, recently shared an unsettling experience on set where her co-actor "lingered on a kiss" despite the director calling "cut." In an interview, the 39-year-old actor highlighted the importance of intimacy coordinators in films and shows.

Speaking to Radio Nasha, Sayani said, "I could write a book about intimacy, and I am grateful that this [intimacy coordinator] is now a profession in India. I had worked with one during Margarita with a Straw in 2013. Intimate scenes are the easiest to do because they are technical."

However, Sayani also pointed out the darker side of intimate scenes. "A lot of people also take advantage. I’ve been in situations where an actor lingered on a kiss after a cut, and you’re left feeling uncomfortable. It may be subtle, but it’s indecent behaviour," the actor said.

She also recalled an incident during the shoot of the Prime Video series Four More Shots Please, where she felt vulnerable while wearing a short dress on a Goa beach.

“I had to lie on the sand in a tiny dress. Some 70 men were standing in front of me, and there wasn’t even one person on set to give me a shawl or be by my side. The lack of concern for an actor’s safety, or anyone’s safety, is concerning. Boundaries are often compromised, and this mindset needs to change," said Sayani.

However, she also praised her Four More Shots Please co-actor Prateik Babbar for making her feel "safe" during a nude scene in the series. "His eyes didn't shift for a second, he just kept looking into my eyes. My respect for him reached a new level," shared Sayani.

Sayani Gupta made her acting debut in 2012 with Second Marriage Dot Com. She rose to prominence with her performances in Margarita With A Straw, Fan, and Article 15. Most recently, she made a special appearance in the Ananya Panday-led web series Call Me Bae.