How will Bollywood deal now with seduction, physical intimacy or ‘fight’ scenes ?

Emran Hashmi, munna tera expiry date aa gaya! Your USP as serial kisser, you can now kiss it goodbye!

Salman, Akshay, Ajay, Hrithik, even Ranbir, Ranveer and most certainly Tiger Shroff – forever involved in plots & narratives fusing romance with action – the bell has tolled for you!

The high-voltage romantic scenes, seductively crafted to prompt a collective hormonal rush and the adrenaline-pumping action scenes have to be bid an abrupt farewell. So, what will be left of the Bollywood masala without heavy duty romancing, song- dance & dishoom-dishoom? Let’s face it. COVID-19 has changed, possibly forever, the way we look at things, think, feel and respond, react to the world around us.

While we struggle to conform and adapt to this new template, how will Bollywood deal with this new nightmare? With all new movie launches, releases, production and shooting having grounded to a halt, what’s in store for the Sapnon ka Saudagars? Film-maker Shoojit Sircar (Piku, Pink, Vicky Donor) is first off the block. “How on earth will we shoot intimate scenes? What happens to hugs and kisses once the Covid-19 storm passes? Will actors be confident or cautious about intimate scenes? How close? How far?

Actress Dia Mirza retorts, “Guru, the entire process of film-making is intimate! So many people, all coming together to create moments in unity in synchronised fashion. Will every member of the cast and crew be masked, on the morning of the shoot before entering the sets?” Veteran film critic Saibal Chatterjee says, “Dia is not too far off the mark. A paradigm shift, dramatic and even cataclysmic is likely to be the new normal.

Beyond the Crores that Bollywood is losing every day, the challenge is: how will they cope and counter this nightmare?” Chatterjee believes that at least for the present, fresh content – in sync with social distancing – could well be the new strategy since touch-feel and physical intimacy is out. New stories and methods of story-telling are likely to be the new commandment. “Do you know that in Iran, women actors have to have their heads covered and any form of physical man-woman touch is disallowed?

Yet, they manage to make world-class films celebrating subjects and themes that champion humanism that embraces universality. Can we do it? Do we have the ability or intent to be moulded, but not mastered by circumstances? Time will tell.” What happens to our super- stars? My feeling is that they are in for a long haul. They will definitely be extra cautious with their moves, physical and career-wise.

Things will never be the same again for them! The Khans haven’t had it too good in recent times. SRK had just about announced his new films, when [poor chap] the Corona Kiss interrupted his road map! Salman was crazily trying to wrap up Radhe and Aamir, his new adaptation of Forest Gump. Ranbir, Ranveer, Ajay, Akshay, Hrithik and gang – along with the gorgeous Dipu, Pecee, Kat, Bebo, Kangy & co – are also likely to be in for a long sabbatical.

Their brand of films will have to go and new narratives [choo-o-naa, choo-o-na mujhe] will have to be embraced, social-distancing style! So, will virtual film-making be the new norm? Will cheat- ing, via technical wizadry, zoom centre-stage to create the required effect?

Can Bollywood manage to manipulate the real, play with perception and create an exciting new alternative that will entertain in the same fashion of yore? It has the ability, ingenuity, innovative- ness, the resources and now the drive. Or will we go back to the virginal days of birds pecking and flowers touching each other with violins shrieking in the background? Bollywood – your time starts, now!!