Director's wife upset over nude scenes in 'Mr Singh...'

Mumbai, June 17 (IANS) Bollywood director Pravesh Bharadwaj's wife is upset with her husband over the nudity in his film "Mr Singh Mrs Mehta", which stars Aruna Shields and Prashant Narayanan.

Though the censor board has passed all the nude scenes and love sequences between Aruna Shields and Prashant Narayanan in the film with an 'A' certificate, the director's wife Shruti Nagar (who works with Rajshri Productions) has objected to the way the director has repeatedly caught the couple in intimate postures all through the film.

There are three lengthy lovemaking scenes in "Mr Singh Mrs Mehta".

The director's wife feels her husband has overdone the sex and nudity. Apparently she has made her displeasure amply clear to her husband.

Pravesh said: "There is one particular lovemaking sequence to which my wife Shruti reacted very strongly. Yes, Shruti did object saying, 'Ek aadh scene hota to koi baat nahin par yahan to puri film iske hi ird-gird ghoom rahi hai' (one odd scene would have been fine, but the entire film revolves around this)."

"She was very upset about the subject matter itself. There is a sequence in the film where Neera (Aruna Shields) undresses in a way that her clothes come off one by one. Shruti, my wife thought I should tone it down."

Pravesh did reconsider his approach to nudity, kissing and lovemaking. "It did make me rethink but it was a critical sequence in the film. I think she is upset that her husband made a film where nudity is central to the story itself. Actually she doesn't approve of the script and the reason being nudity."

The director admits the nudity content is over-the-top. And the censors suggested that the lady's bare back be blurred.

The director hopes that the bare flesh is not misconstrued to be meant for titillation.

"The film has been written for the average Indian viewer. I know I am taking a risk and I hope they get the point. otherwise I fail. but I am confident it gets across."

Pravesh feels the censor board has demonstrated a deep maturity in passing the film.

"We did have more than one revising committee screenings and lots of anxious moments. But if you ask me I would like to send a bouquet to censor board. No scene has been snipped."

"I am quite relieved that film was cleared. I was very nervous and afraid as people around me started counting the kisses also. I did not have the budget to shoot alternate shots so depending on the clearance either I had a film on hand or none," he said.

"I have shot the film in a certain manner where cutting out a sequence or faster cutting of certain scenes would have killed my narrative style," he added.

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Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta