Ahead of Lust Stories 3’s Netflix premiere, directors Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj reflect on the best advice they’ve received from fellow filmmakers. From Gulzar’s stern counsel on asserting authority on set to Aamir Khan’s metaphor of filmmaking as an impossible mountain, each anecdote reveals how guidance shapes their creative and leadership styles.
Ahead of Lust Stories 3, the returning instalment of the popular anthology series, THR India sat down with Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj — the four filmmakers behind the latest iteration premiering on Netflix on September 18.
During the candid conversation, the directors were asked about the most useful advise they have received from a fellow artist, and their answers were as honest and real as their films.
Bhardwaj said that the most useful advice he's received from a director is that, "if someone misbehaves on your set, you misbehave on top of that."
He revealed these words came from Gulzar, who once told him that, "if anyone misbehaves with you, be it an actor or anyone else, you must misbehave with them twice as much. Only then will you strike the right equation. Only the director is allowed to raise his voice on set. No one else is."
Rao recalled a piece of advice that actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan gave her before she directed her first film, Dhobi Ghat. He told her, "Filmmaking is like climbing an impossible mountain. It's very scary, so don't look at the top. Just look at the next step you have to take. Otherwise, it feels unachievable."
Meanwhile, Batra's most useful advice comes from the late Rishi Kapoor, who acted in Kapoor & Sons. He recalls a comical interaction he had with the veteran on set. "Once, on my set, Rishi sir told me 'Tu apna dekh' (you mind your own business). He told everyone that. Once, he told an actor next to him the same thing. I love it because it's to the point.... and you should say it just like he says it."
Motwane says that he received his most useful piece of advice from one of his assistants. He recalls asking "Whats the gossip of the day?" to which his first AD, who responded saying, "Sir, please focus on the film. You don't need to know what's happening outside of what you need to do."
"I think it's pretty solid advice," Motwane laughed.
Lust Stories 3 stars Konkana Sen Sharma, Radhika Apte, Aditi Rao Hydari, Radhika Madan, and Sana Thampi as the leading female stars. Alongside them, Vijay Varma, Siddharth, Ali Fazal, Gurfateh Pirzada and Abhishek Banerjee also feature in the anthology.
Watch the full conversation on The Hollywood Reporter India's YouTube channel at 8 pm tonight.