Meet Our Team
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FOUNDER/ INTIMACY DIRECTOR
Email: aastha@intimacycoordinator.in
Instagram: @aasthagkhanna @theintimacylab @theintimacycollective
Born and raised in India, Aastha (she/her) has always had a great passion for cinema. She graduated from the University of York (UK) with a Bachelor of Science Honours in Film and Television Production. Since then, she’s worked on many different formats of content in the UK, south-east Asia and India. She has worked in production and direction on over half a dozen feature films including the very successful and national award-winning Andhadhun by Sriram Raghawan, Shakun Batra’s Gehraiyaan, and on projects for studios like Amazon, Viacom 18, Netflix, RSVP, and Dharma Productions and YRF Studios.
She is India’s first-ever certified intimacy coordinator and is the pioneer of this work in the Indian film and television industries.
Upon realizing that the Indian market did not have a trained expert in the field of intimacy coordination, she jumped at the opportunity to train under IPA in order to learn the trade herself and bring about a revolution in the standards of safety on sets in India. She then went on to share the much-needed knowledge and expertise of intimacy coordination across the different Indian film and television platforms through The Intimacy Collective, which she founded.
She is the lead trainer for all students training to become intimacy coordinators through the TIL x IPA certification program. To know more about her work and process you can email or reach out to her on social media
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INTIMACY COORDINATOR/ CONTACT IMPROV PROFESSIONAL/ ACTOR/ CHOREOGRAPHER
Email - workingboundaries@gmail.com
Instagram - @workingboundaries
Akshay began his formal training in the performing arts at the age of fourteen and has since been fascinated by movement and cinema. While his formal education is in Business Management, he is professionally trained in dance, has two diplomas in acting – one from New York Film Academy (NYC) and the other from Barry John’s Acting Studio (Mumbai) – and is one of the founding teachers of the Indian Contact Improvisation community.
Being in the industry for over fourteen years now, Akshay has worked on many commercials, short films and web series, with leading directors and actors from the Indian Film industry and has also been able to share his passion for the arts with people across borders.
A yearning to dive deeper into the subjects of intimacy and consent brought him to train under IPA x TIL, and become South Asia’s first male certified intimacy coordinator. With his background in contact movement, he aims to use the fundamentals of intimacy in working boundaries with actors, while delivering the director’s vision.
He hopes to share his knowledge to enhance scene chemistry and uphold safety, with all content involving intimacy, sex and nudity, in the Indian as well as International Film and Television Industry.
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INTIMACY COORDINATOR/ ACTOR
Email-ankita.intimacycoordinator@gmail.com
Instagram@ankita_intimacycoordinator
Ankita Podder is an actor and intimacy coordinator; born in Calcutta and is now based out of Mumbai, India.
She is a Sociology graduate from Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Film Studies from Xavier Institution of Communications, Mumbai. Alongside her education, Ankita has always been a stage and screen actor.
Podder has worked as an assistant director, a producer, and been a part of several writers’ rooms as well. She started her career as the assistant to India’s first intimacy coordinator, Aastha Khanna, who she has done over a dozen projects with. Some of them include Saas, Bahu aur Flamingo on Disney+Hotstar, Jee Karda on Amazon Prime.
As a certified intimacy coordinator, Ankita has headed projects directed by Karan Kandhari, Vivek Budakoti, amongst many others.
Ankita’s fascination with visuality in arts molds her gaze and attempts to steer the narrative in South Asian storytelling, creating openness in cinema around gender, intimacy, sex and sexualities. Her vast experience in this job role adds to her ability to bring nuanced technique and empathy to the table. In addition, her training as an actor has layered her professional ability to guide performers through workshops to achieve the director’s vision.
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INTIMACY COORDINATOR / MINORS CHAPERONE
Email: parinazaga@gmail.com
Instagram: @head..and..heart @parinazagaintimacycoordinator
Parinaz is a TIL x IPA certified Intimacy Coordinator since 2023 . In addition to being an IC She has been a practicing Psychological Counselor since 2012.
Her training as an intimacy coordinator and her expertise in human relationships and emotions make her uniquely capable of choreographing intimate scenes and clearly understanding internal emotional conflicts and challenges an artist may have while working in scenes of intimacy.
She has a decade of counselling experience with adults in the areas of depression, anxiety, trauma, parenting, relationships and sex. Parinaz is also qualified as a child counsellor and is a strong advocate for the emotional and mental safety of child artists.
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ACTOR/ INTIMACY COORDINATOR
Naina's interest in the visual medium began through photography and her love for storytelling, which evolved into a master's Degree in Film and Video Communication from the National Institute of Design, India. As a filmmaker, she believes my strength lies in her grasp of film language and developing visual vocabulary. It has allowed her to work seamlessly through both fiction and non-fiction formats, in writers' rooms, and on edit. As a director and a DA, Naina has predominantly worked in Independent film-making with the Delhi-based production house, Jamun.
Last year she had the opportunity to expand her love for cinema to acting when she was cast as Koel Kalra in the Netflix International series, Class. It was through series that she first engaged with intimacy coordination and mainstream film-making. Intimacy was at the core of her character arc, which meant that over the year of shooting, she became well-versed with workshops, choreographies and onset protocols for Intimacy work.
Naina's experience as an actor coupled with her professional & academic background in cinema pushed her towards eventually training as an Intimacy Coordinator. The new wave of Indian cinema has brought with it the re-imagination of Indian intimacy. Audiences, actors and filmmakers are opening up the conservatively depicted space. It is an exciting prospect to be at the forefront of this wave, especially as an Intimacy Coordinator. It gives her opportunities to visualise honest and authentic Indian intimacy, steeped in cultural context.
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INTIMACY COORDINATOR
Email:
Instagram: @biztonedduck
Born in Delhi and now based in Mumbai, Ishita's journey into the realm of cinema began in childhood, where she discovered a passion for storytelling through crafting posters from newspaper clippings. This early creative spark ignited a lifelong love affair with the magic of filmmaking. However, Ishita's journey was not solely driven by a passion for cinematic artistry. Alongside her creative pursuits, she harbored a deep-seated desire to foster safe and inclusive environments within the industry.
This desire led Ishita down a transformative path into the world of intimacy coordination. Recognizing the importance of creating spaces where artists feel comfortable exploring intimate themes, Ishita embarked on the journey to become a certified intimacy coordinator. Undertaking the IPA certification, she delved into the intricacies of creating safe and respectful environments for actors and crew members alike.
As a visionary creative producer and consent-forward artist, Ishita brings a unique perspective to her work. Her commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of her craft, from video editing to content strategy, sales, marketing, and startup finance. Ishita firmly believes in the power of storytelling to foster intimacy and sexual awareness. She advocates for the creation of safe spaces on set, where actors can explore intimate scenes with confidence and authenticity. With a knack for travel and creation, Ishita's journey is one of continuous exploration and innovation in the world of cinema.
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EDUCATOR/ INTIMACY COORDINATOR
Email- intimacywithron@gmail.com
Instagram @instaronen
Ronisha believes intimacy isn’t just limited to acts in the bedroom—it lives in the everyday: a mother’s hug, a friend’s laugh, caring for a newborn.
With roots as a school educator and a non-coercive parent, she brings authenticity, vulnerability, consent, and boundaries into everything she does.
On set, she choreographs intimacy with ease, runs performer workshops with warmth, and is a pro at chaperoning children. Above all, she loves her work and makes sure that joy is contagious wherever she goes.
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COSTUME STYLIST / INTIMACY COORDINATOR
Email: jaya@intimacycoordinatorindia.com
instagram: @intimacycoordinatorindia
Jayalakshmi Sundaresan based in South of India (Chennai) is an Intimacy Coordinator and a Costume Designer. A Visual Communication and an MBA grad who discontinued her PhD, she began her career in the directorial department of the Advertising Industry, working on close to 300 TV commercials and photo shoots as a stylist all over India and has worked with many popular International and National brands.
She has worked as a costume designer for over 50 films which also included assisting actors for intimate scenes. She has worked as an intimacy professional in many movies to provide moral support while ensuring a safe work space during the shoots and that is exactly where her forte for working around intimacy began.
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PSYCHOLOGIST / INTIMACY COORDINATOR / ACTOR
Pallavi Srivastav is a psychologist, intimacy coordinator, and creator of conversation games that help people have the talks they’re too afraid to start.
Raised in Nagpur, India, Pallavi’s love for storytelling began with Bollywood cassette tapes, VCR marathons, and community movie nights. Trained in Kathak and acting, she deepened her craft at Saurabh Sachdeva’s academy and has appeared in ad films.
She holds Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Psychology, having worked in brand strategy and therapy—supporting individuals in addiction recovery and witnessing how stories can heal.
Today, Pallavi brings a unique blend of corporate storytelling, therapeutic insight, and performance experience to film sets. She fosters safety, trust, and clarity—collaborating with directors to serve vision, with actors to uphold boundaries, and with producers to ensure professionalism and care.
She believes everyone deserves to tell their story—with courage, care, and authenticity.
Email: srivastavkpallavi@gmail.com
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COSTUME STYLIST / INTIMACY COORDINATOR
Email: simranchandnani.ic@gmail.com
Endlessly fascinated by how unique yet universal our experiences are, Simran (she/her) is drawn to everything that makes us connect and build relationships with people. From psychology to filmmaking and theatre, she hopes to pursue whatever sparks her curiosity.
Her introduction to Psychology during her Bachelor's was instrumental in deepening her interest in intimacy as an area of specialization; leading her to certify as a Professional Cuddler/Touch Practitioner from Cuddle Sanctuary, Los Angeles and training as an Intimacy Coach (ongoing).
Her love for Cinema also grew as she explored direction, cinematography, production, and editing over the years. She now freelances as a video editor and is pursuing documentary filmmaking and theatre
When she learned about Intimacy Coordination, she knew she had to do it; because what were the odds of finding something that brings her two aspirations, films and intimacy, together in one role!