Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s saga of a female gangster Gangubai Kathiawadi was to have a love-making sequence between Alia Bhatt and her love interest Shantanu Maheshwari. A tender love scene between Alia Bhatt and her on-screen lover in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi is now likely to be dropped from the script.

The reason being the severe guidelines pertaining to social distancing during the ongoing pandemic. Such is the new norm regarding physical intimacy that Bhansali has decided to do away with a tender love sequence between Alia Bhatt and her love interest played by dancer-turned actor Shantanu Maheshwari. Says an informed source, “I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry in these troubled times. Physical intimacy would definitely be avoided in Bhansali’s shooting. He will find another way of showing a romantic closeness.”

In cinema the world over, actors are shying away doing intimate scenes. In Netflix’s series Halston and in The Serpent, orgy scenes were to be filmed. They were dropped after the pandemic.

As for Gangubai Kathiawadi the film that has been in the news since its announcement was recently granted reprieve after the Bombay High Court granted an interim stay on the defamation charges levied against SLB and Alia. In terms of its release, Alia Bhatt recently wrapped shooting for the same; however, the makers of the film have chosen to release Gangubai Kathiawadi when theatres reopen post the pandemic.

Also Read: Bombay HC grants interim stay on defamation charges against Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Alia Bhatt in the Gangubai Kathiawadi controversy