In contemporary cinema and web series, explicit or intimate scenes have become commonplace; romantic or kissing moments can be found in every second film. Nevertheless, sometimes creators emphasize such scenes so heavily that viewers feel uncomfortable watching them in a family setting.
When excessively explicit scenes are shown on screen, creators and actors often face sharp criticism and trolling from the audience. A prime example is the 2022 film 'Gahrayan,' which featured numerous explicit and intimate scenes between Deepika Padukone and Sindhan Chaturvedi.
After the film's release, the actors were subjected to heavy trolling on social media because many disliked the depiction of extramarital affairs, intimacy, and sexual desire in the movie.
In an interview with 'News18,' directors of 'Lust Stories 3,' Vikramaditya Motwani and Shakun Batra, openly discussed the negative reaction to films and shared their opinion on whether the majority of the Indian audience maintains conservative views.
Director Sachin Batra, commenting on the trolling received by the film for depicting sex and infidelity in 'Gahrayan,' stated that such things are not unprecedented in India. He noted that people can relate to such stories and see themselves in them. However, he added that there is a huge moral burden associated with questions of what is ethical, right, or wrong. In his view, society is not yet ready to change such established perceptions, as concepts of good and evil seem permanently fixed.
On the other hand, filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwani believes the problem lies not with the viewers but with those who consider themselves guardians of public morality. Vikramaditya emphasized that box office results show that no one refuses to watch such material. He called these people 'gatekeepers' who constantly assert that certain content should not or ought not to be watched because it contradicts culture, and they voice many similar remarks.
Overall, he believes that the approach to watching films has changed over the last two decades. The younger generation has become much more open to topics of sex, intimacy, and passion and is less inclined to judge others.
For those unfamiliar, the plot of Motwani's 'Lust Stories 3' is based on the sexual desires of middle-aged married women who decide to exchange their husbands to reintroduce excitement into their dull sexual lives.
