Anupama Chopra brings together Kiran Rao, Vikramaditya Motwane, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj for a live THR Talks conversation about Netflix's Lust Stories 3, the challenge of telling a complete story in a short film, and why desire offers so much room for conflict, comedy and chaos.
The four directors discuss the different kinds of discipline the format demands, watching each other’s films, and the advice and support they have exchanged over the years. Vikramaditya explains how Radhika Apte and Konkona Sen Sharma helped shape his portrayal of female desire, and how their spontaneous chemistry brought humour to a story with sadness underneath. Vishal traces his film’s origins to his adolescent reading, his later encounters with literature, and the decision to set the story in 1980s Hyderabad, with Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth as a married couple.
Kiran talks about young attraction, questionable decisions and the possibilities for comedy in cramped Mumbai homes, while Shakun explores a relationship in which sex becomes a substitute for the things a couple cannot say. The conversation moves from the films to the people making them. Kiran reflects on Mumbai as a city of desires and the daily hustle of the young people at the centre of her story. In a rapid-fire round, the directors share useful advice, their pet peeves on set, the phrases they repeat most and their most embarrassing shooting experiences — from a missing camera to an ill-timed cricket ball.
Anupama also asks what gives them hope for cinema, prompting a discussion about new creators, emerging tools and a wider range of films finding audiences. Audience questions turn to producing, intimacy coordination, India’s shortage of screens and the cost of a trip to the movies. The evening closes with Vishal reflecting on the energy of performing live, the discipline of daily music practice and the mix of regret and excitement that comes with discovering a new part of his craft.