Thursday, April 09, 2015

Ace Producer Ekta Kapoor Brings In Nudity Clause: Actors Will Be Legally Bound To 'Perform' Upon 'Script Demand'

Films and Television ace producer Ekta Kapoor is once again pushing the envelope when it comes to sex and sexuality in her films and television productions on legal way. She added a clause in contract to act accordingly whenever the script demands. 

The producer’s past game-changers have included the 'Ragini MMS' horrex franchise and 'Love Sex Aur Dhokha'. She is now ushering in the unprecedented trend of inserting a nudity clause in Hindi cinema. 

All artistes working in Ekta’s upcoming projects will have to adhere to the clause. 

Among the first films to come under the clause will be 'XXX', Ekta’s next production under her banner Balaji Motion Pictures. The film is an erotic thriller directed by Ken Ghosh and features a fresh cast. 

Put simply, the nudity clause implies that any artiste signing up to work in the film in question becomes legally bound to expose as much as he or she is asked to, according to the demands of the script. 

The clause also covers shooting intimate scenes and the use of explicit language. 

“This is a first-of-its-kind happening in Hindi cinema. The details of the clause are the responsibility of the Balaji legal team. As the creative head of the project, all I can say is it will give me a leeway to freely pursue whatever my script demands,” said Ghosh. 

Reports suggested Ekta was prompted to insert such a clause for all her productions from now on because of problems she had to face during her last few releases, where certain artistes refused to do particular explicit scenes or mouth sexually-charged dialogues.

Last year, there were reports in the media stating that Ekta had a tough time when ex-porn star Sunny Leone showed reluctance over certain sequences while filming the horrex hit 'Ragini MMS 2'. She had to personally visit the set of the film to convince the actress to film those scenes. 

Ekta’s decision to add a nudity clause comes at a time when the Central Board of Film Certification in India has created much controversy by coming down heavily on sex, violence and explicit language in films. 

Interestingly, while her stint as a soap sultana has mostly seen Ekta banking on tear-jerker melodrama, her avatar as a Bollywood producer has been laden with films that are high on sex, violence and explicit dialogues. 

Her best-known productions have included 'The Dirty Picture', the 'Ragini MMS' series, 'Shootout At Lokhandwala', 'Shootout At Wadala' and 'Love Sex Aur Dhokha' - and these films were all passed with adult certification. 

Ghosh pointed out that as far as his film was concerned, the clause was essential because its genre demanded bold treatment. 

“XXX belongs purely to the erotica genre. It is an unprecedented film and not an effort to parcel erotica as, say, a suspense drama or a horror flick. Every detail has been planned out and nothing can be compromised.” 

The director, though, assured that nothing shown in the film would be beyond what the adult Indian mindset would accept. 

'XXX' was in the news recently when Balaji announced they would hit Twitter for talent hunt while casting the film. The response of the online auditions, Ghosh said, was positive - but he refused to reveal the names of his cast. 

The makers plan to unveil all the new faces of the film at a grand launch ceremony when its publicity campaign kicks off. 

The makers are yet to give out details about 'XXX', except that the film is episodic in structure and narrates five interlinked stories about as many sets of youth protagonists. 

All the stories ride the common theme of sex and sexuality. The effort of the film will be to look at erotica in its various hues, against the backdrop of contemporary India.

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