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Kalki's first on-screen liplock, in the upcoming Shanghai with Bengali actor Prosenjit, ended with the young actress 'attacking' the veteran!
Kalki Koechlin had shot for a split-second kissing scene in Shaitan and Dev D, but had never smooched on screen. So, when Dibakar Banerjee first told Kalki that he wanted to shoot an intense smooching scene between her and Prosenjit Chatterjee for Shanghai, it was imperative that the duo understood the background story of their on-screen characters at Atul Mongia's workshop before filming it. The workshop helped, but on the sets, it was a completely different experience, what with Kalki literally ending up biting Prosenjit's lips!
Says Dibakar, "Kalki's character is complex. She plays an Indian with a mixed parentage and looks like a foreigner. Living in a small town, she is almost always judged by her looks rather than anything else. While fighting a rough battle in a politically volatile small town, she comes across as angry, vulnerable and idealistic. Prosenjit is a well-known social activist who stands for all that is right. There is a strong sexual chemistry between this much older man and this young girl. When Kalki faces an insurmountable problem and wants to break down, Prosenjit asks her to fight back and not be a victim. That's when her guard falls and she goes for his passionate embrace, that's much more than just an expression of physical intimacy."
To get into the mood of the scene that was shot in a kitchen, Dibakar instructed Kalki to "attack" Prosenjit. "I told her to make the first move. Though both of them had rehearsed the scene, shooting it was extremely traumatic for Kalki. After every take, she would rush to the other room and cry to bring her emotions to the boiling point. While filming, she actually bit PC sir's lips!" the director says.
But events took a rather bizarre turn when Dibakar actually forgot to say "cut" while shooting this scene. "I was asked to literally attack him and Dibakar had told us not to stop smooching till he said cut. But what happened in the process is that we went on smooching without realising that we had gone out of the frame," Kalki says. To this, Dibakar smiles and adds, "Yes, I was completely oblivious to the fact that I had to say cut, and instead, got busy shooting the tap in the kitchen! Suddenly, I heard Kalki's voice asking if I was done, when I went on to say that they were out of my frame. While Kalki got a little mad with me, PC Sir was very cool. I must admit that I behaved like an 'insensitive jerk'."
Prosenjit, in fact, still can't control his smile while recalling this incident. "Dibakar pushed Kalki to be so intense. She was seriously crying and even hitting me. But I was cool. I always am, while shooting. I can't say that this is my first kissing scene, since I have done all kinds of romantic and passionate scenes, from Chokher Bali to Aparajita Tumi. Maybe the way Dibakar has filmed it is different," the actor says. If not anything else, Prosenjit sure has never shot for an intense lip-lock where the director has forgotten about his actors, while happily locking the shot of a tap instead!
Shanghai is produced by PVR Pictures and releases on June 8.
Kalki Koechlin had shot for a split-second kissing scene in Shaitan and Dev D, but had never smooched on screen. So, when Dibakar Banerjee first told Kalki that he wanted to shoot an intense smooching scene between her and Prosenjit Chatterjee for Shanghai, it was imperative that the duo understood the background story of their on-screen characters at Atul Mongia's workshop before filming it. The workshop helped, but on the sets, it was a completely different experience, what with Kalki literally ending up biting Prosenjit's lips!
Says Dibakar, "Kalki's character is complex. She plays an Indian with a mixed parentage and looks like a foreigner. Living in a small town, she is almost always judged by her looks rather than anything else. While fighting a rough battle in a politically volatile small town, she comes across as angry, vulnerable and idealistic. Prosenjit is a well-known social activist who stands for all that is right. There is a strong sexual chemistry between this much older man and this young girl. When Kalki faces an insurmountable problem and wants to break down, Prosenjit asks her to fight back and not be a victim. That's when her guard falls and she goes for his passionate embrace, that's much more than just an expression of physical intimacy."
To get into the mood of the scene that was shot in a kitchen, Dibakar instructed Kalki to "attack" Prosenjit. "I told her to make the first move. Though both of them had rehearsed the scene, shooting it was extremely traumatic for Kalki. After every take, she would rush to the other room and cry to bring her emotions to the boiling point. While filming, she actually bit PC sir's lips!" the director says.
But events took a rather bizarre turn when Dibakar actually forgot to say "cut" while shooting this scene. "I was asked to literally attack him and Dibakar had told us not to stop smooching till he said cut. But what happened in the process is that we went on smooching without realising that we had gone out of the frame," Kalki says. To this, Dibakar smiles and adds, "Yes, I was completely oblivious to the fact that I had to say cut, and instead, got busy shooting the tap in the kitchen! Suddenly, I heard Kalki's voice asking if I was done, when I went on to say that they were out of my frame. While Kalki got a little mad with me, PC Sir was very cool. I must admit that I behaved like an 'insensitive jerk'."
Prosenjit, in fact, still can't control his smile while recalling this incident. "Dibakar pushed Kalki to be so intense. She was seriously crying and even hitting me. But I was cool. I always am, while shooting. I can't say that this is my first kissing scene, since I have done all kinds of romantic and passionate scenes, from Chokher Bali to Aparajita Tumi. Maybe the way Dibakar has filmed it is different," the actor says. If not anything else, Prosenjit sure has never shot for an intense lip-lock where the director has forgotten about his actors, while happily locking the shot of a tap instead!
Shanghai is produced by PVR Pictures and releases on June 8.
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