On Sunday afternoon, NTI’s floor no. 3 is almost deserted. Almost being the vital word. For, Swastika Mukherjee and Joy Sengupta are in a corner, hugging and whispering.

“We came early to the sets to discuss the scene. It’s a bold scene that involves liplock and physical intimacy so we thought of doing a little rehearsal among ourselves,” smiled Swastika with Joy by her side on the sets of Saugata Roy Burman’s Tabe Tai Hok.

Joy, who plays Swastika’s doctor husband, is something of a pro at bold scenes. “I have locked lips with Nandita Das in my debut film Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, I had bed scenes with Kitu Gidwani in Deham and with Paoli (Dam) in Kagojer Bou. It’s all about whether you believe in the situation your character is thrown into,” said he.

So, how does Joy just do it? “Well, I switch off my personal life and switch on the life of the character I am portraying because if you are in some kind of a dilemma about being intimate with your co-star then you neither do justice to yourself nor to the character. Besides, I find bold scenes challenging,” explains the actor.

Swastika too is ready to shed her inhibitions, with a few ifs and buts. “The scene should be done aesthetically and there should be less people around. And I should not look vulgar on screen.... I have done bold scenes and smooched my co-star (Jeet) in Krishnakanter Will and Kranti,” she smiled before getting into bed with Joy!

Tabe Tai Hok is a relationship tale revolving around Tilottama (Swastika), who loves a wild and obsessive painter called Arya (Samadarshi) but chooses to marry Amartya (Joy), a psychiatrist.

“Tilottama doesn’t whole-heartedly give in to the two men in her life. She neither allows a proper conjugal life with her husband, nor does she ever make love to her ex-flame. And she is totally torn between the two men when her husband brings the painter back in her life. Tilottama has various shades and she is a very confusing character. I don’t really understand her,” laughs Swastika, who has been styled by sister Ajopa Mukherjee Roy for this film.

And while Swastika and Joy are getting busy in bed, Saugata has a quick chat with DoP (director of photography) Mrinmoy Nandi about the frames and the shots. “We are not showing skin for the heck of it. We will play around a lot with light and shades during the intimate scenes. It’s not very bold; it’s just a liplock,” says the director.

Produced by Viva Entertainment, Tabe Tai Hok will be shot mostly in Calcutta and the Khannan Rajbari in Burdwan.