Jim Sarbh on how Zoya Akhtar directs Intimate scenes

A still from the series

From the sound of it, Jim Sarbh is one of us. The actor, who plays one of the central characters in Made in Heaven, is binge-watching the second season and can't stop reacting to it like any other viewer. "Even people I watched it with, screamed during certain scenes and gasped at some other sequences," the actor grins.

Zoya Akhtar

Since it dropped on Amazon Prime Video last week, the Sobhita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur-led series has dominated conversations, just the way its maiden season did. This time around, through glitzy weddings organised by Dhulipala and Mathur's wedding planner characters, the show has touched on several themes - from India's obsession with fair skin, to Dalit identity, and self-love. Pleased with the response, Sarbh says, "At the end of the day, a story wants to be heard and experienced. So, I am glad people are connecting, asking questions and having feelings - be it good, bad or bewildered."

The second season reunited him with one of his favourite collaborators, Zoya Akhtar, who has co-created the show with Reema Kagti. He credits Akhtar for handling intimate sequences with sensitivity, thus creating a comfortable environment for actors. "Zoya is a lot of fun to shoot with. She takes control of the sets and is always a delight to jam ideas with. Also, intimate scenes can cause a certain amount of trepidation, if you feel you aren't in safe hands. But because she is there, you feel safe. She has a good eye for such sequences; she shoots them in a way that makes them feel real and raw."