Much like its predecessors Lust Stories 3 also dwells into some so called taboo topics. Among the four segments three stand out. Vishal Baradwaj’s segment in particular deserves a special mention. Starring the real-life couple Siddarth and Aditi Rao Hydari this short explores female orgasm, how it isn’t some indulgence but a need comes across in a strong manner
Starcast: Radhika Apte, Konkana Sen Sharma, Abhishek Benarjee, Vijay Verma, Ali Fazal, Radhika Madan, Gurfateh Pirzada, Sana Thampi, Ali Fazal, Radhika Madan, Rajat Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Siddarth, Gajaraj Rao and others
Genre: Anthology
Directors: Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Baradwaj
Music directors: Yash Sahai, Ram Sampath, Vishal Baradwaj etc
Cinematographers: Siddarth Dhawan, Shreya Dev Dube and Saurabh Goswami
Producers: Ronnie Screwala, Ashi Dua Sara etc
Production Companies: RSVP and Flying Corn Entertainment
Running time: 2 hours and 44 minutes
Streaming site: Netflix
Lust Stories franchise holds a unique place among anthology movies for how they have explored female desire. The anthology has never shied away from exploring sex and sexuality in different ways. For example, in Lust Stories 2 there was R Balki’s made for each other. Through Neena Gupta’s lovable dadi the director looked at the importance of sexual compatibility before marriage. Lust Stories 3 goes even bolder with its depiction of sex from the perspective of females.
Lust Stories 3 begins with Vikramaditya Motwane’s segment. It follows two middle aged couples in Kandivili. Abhishek Benarjee and Vijay Verma play the clueless husbands. Radhika Apte and Konkana Sen Sharma play the wives who are also good friends. The characters of Radhika and Konkana are going through a marriage crisis; they are desperate for excitement especially the latter. This leads to an audacious plan the details of which are better seen on the screen.
A strong aspect of this short is the exploration of the two female protagonists reclaiming their agency. On paper this is a story of emotional crisis, but Vikramaditya Motwane injects some solid humor through the whacky scenarios. There is also the subplot of K dramas influence on the two women, and this has also been well integrated. Beneath the comedy of errors, the director also does a solid job in exploring the feelings of being unseen and undesired.
Both Konkana and Radhika have a ball feeding off each other wonderfully. Their camaraderie is a major highlight, Abhishek Benarjee and Vijay Verma also make their presence amply felt as husbands struggling with emotional distance.
Next up is the one directed by Kiran Rao. This follows the tale of a pizza delivery job (Gurfateh Pirzada in a double role) and a nails artist Lisa (Sana Thampi). Its instant attraction for the two, however the story takes a different turn with the twin’s entry.
This segment takes a while to find its rhythm and is a weak link among the four. Having said that it has its moments especially in Kiran Rao’s exploration of sexual attraction and power dynamics.
Desire as a manipulation weapon with Lisa conning the two brothers saves this segment from being a disaster. Gurfateh Pirzada pulls off the dual role well bringing in the subtle variations in an efficient manner. Sana Thampi also delivers a competent act pulling off the grey areas well.
Shakun Batra’s segment featuring Ali Fazal and Radhika Madan focuses on a soon to be divorced couple. Here Lust becomes an escape route for the estranged couple to vent out unresolved marital issues. The scenes leading to intimacy have an interesting pattern with arguments followed by sex.
Apart from Shakun Batra’s deft handling the acting performances also make it engaging. Both Ali Fazal and Radhika Madan bring alive the emotional messiness without missing a single beat. The frantic sexual energy has also been well portrayed with zero inhibitions. Rajat Kapoor as the therapist decoding their intimacy patterns also gives a good account of himself.
Last but the not least is Vishal Baradwaj’ segment. Among the four this is the most unsubtle but highly effective. The director along with the cast deliver a delightful period story on sexual repression and how a woman puts her sexual fantasies in the form of a prose. Aditi Rao Hydari plays a literature professor and a fan of Manto. She is a big believer in how sexually explicit content can also make for respectable literature.
Siddarth plays the husband/husband. The actor also has a tiny double role as a dream boy of Aditi Rao Hydari. The Hyderabadi Hindi with the specific dialect adds an extra flavor to the segment. Through this segment Vishal Baradwaj dwells into female autonomy and satisfying a woman sexually.
The performances are in complete sync led by a delightful Aditi Rao Hydari. The actress brings mischief, intelligence and sensuality in equal measure. Siddarth has a ball too especially as a desire of lust. Gajaj Rao as the supportive father-in-law makes his presence amply felt too, but the dialogues suffer somewhat on the account of constant paan chewing.
Final word: Lust Stories 3 is a solid addition with a bolder exploration. Definitely worth binging.
