Vishal Bhardwaj has named Karan Johar‘s segment from the 2018 anthology Lust Stories as the filmmaker’s career-best work. In a recent interview, Bhardwaj praised the performances of Kiara Advani and Vicky Kaushal, calling the short film directorially strong. The comments come just days before the release of Lust Stories 3 on Netflix.
Lust Stories 3 is set to premiere on Netflix on September 18, 2026. The new edition brings together four directors — Vishal Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao and Shakun Batra — each directing a separate short film. The anthology features a fresh ensemble cast including Radhika Apte, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Radhika Madan, Vijay Varma, Siddharth and Ali Fazal.
Vishal Bhardwaj Calls Karan Johar’s Lust Stories Segment His Best Work
While speaking to SCREEN about the previous stories from the franchise, Vishal Bhardwaj singled out Karan Johar‘s segment from the first Lust Stories as the director’s strongest work to date.
“Karan Johar made his career’s best film in Lust Stories. I really loved Kiara Advani’s performance. And Vicky is so good! But directorially, it’s a very strong film.”
Shakun Batra, who is directing one of the segments in Lust Stories 3, also picked Karan Johar‘s short as his favourite. Batra recalled how the narration itself was delivered with humour.
“Even when I’d heard the narration, I thought it was so funny the way he narrated it.”
Karan Johar‘s segment in Lust Stories was titled Anuradha. It starred Kiara Advani as Megha, a newly married woman navigating dissatisfaction in her intimate life, and Vicky Kaushal as her husband. The story explored themes of female desire, sexual frustration and the difficulty of communicating about intimacy within a marriage. A particularly memorable scene featured Kiara‘s character using a vibrator while the title track of Karan Johar‘s 2001 film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham played in the background — a contrast that became one of the most discussed moments of the anthology.
Kiara Advani‘s performance in the segment is widely regarded as one of her most iconic roles. The short film remains a standout in the Lust Stories franchise for its bold and honest look at a subject rarely discussed openly in Indian cinema.
Kiran Rao And Vikramaditya Motwane Pick Konkona Sen Sharma’s The Mirror
While Vishal Bhardwaj and Shakun Batra chose Karan Johar‘s segment from the first edition, Kiran Rao and Vikramaditya Motwane picked Konkona Sen Sharma‘s The Mirror from Lust Stories 2.
Kiran Rao praised the short film for its layered storytelling.
“I actually loved Koko’s film. It was so beautifully done. It was funny and uncomfortable. Not just lust, but there were so many other things like class woven in. It was so complex for a short film, and so touching. The end was so perfect. I really loved it.”
Vikramaditya Motwane credited Konkona Sen Sharma‘s episode as the reason he wanted to join the anthology for its third instalment.
“In fact, watching Koko’s Lust Stories episode from the previous one was actually the reason why I was so keen to do this. What she did in that episode was phenomenal! She raised the level of the anthology incredibly.”
What To Know About Lust Stories 3
Lust Stories 3 is produced by RSVP and Flying Unicorn Entertainment. It is the third chapter in Netflix India‘s Emmy-nominated anthology franchise. The first Lust Stories premiered in 2018 with segments directed by Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Karan Johar. Lust Stories 2 followed in 2023 with R. Balki, Konkona Sen Sharma, Amit Ravindernath Sharma and Sujoy Ghosh at the helm.
The new edition features four fresh stories. Vishal Bhardwaj‘s segment stars Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth and explores a woman’s sexual dissatisfaction in a different setting. Shakun Batra‘s story brings together Ali Fazal and Radhika Madan, focusing on power dynamics between couples. Vikramaditya Motwane‘s part includes Vijay Varma, Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Apte and Abhishek Banerjee, leaning into the awkward and comedic side of intimacy. Kiran Rao‘s segment introduces Gurfateh Pirzada and Sana Thampi.
Radhika Apte revealed that she was initially hesitant to take on the project because she had just given birth to her daughter.
“I was postpartum, I had just given birth. I would actually have never opted to work but because he (Motwane) called, I was there. I don’t even remember what we shot. There was no sleep, I was breastfeeding, she was so small, and I was lost completely. With the intimacy workshop, I was like, ‘I don’t want anybody near me’. It was just Vikram, and then we (Apte and Abhishek Banerjee) didn’t know each other, and then actually, I was like, these are very safe people, that was fine.”
Shakun Batra spoke about his approach to the theme.
“I like complicated situations and people, I think it’s the easiest place to find drama, it’s the easiest place to build something. I also enjoy psychological battlefield more than external plots. So, in this film, sex is like a battlefield, they are playing for power.”
Vikramaditya Motwane shared his thoughts on mixing sex with comedy.
“I do think sex and comedy go together quite well. Sex in itself is awkward, can be awkward, and it’s right for humour. In this case, we’re making it with two older women who are generally not seen as objects of desire, and the fact that it’s middle-class women who want to end up swapping is right for comedy.”
You May Also Like:
Lust Stories 3 Release Details
Lust Stories 3 premieres on Netflix on September 18, 2026. The film will be available to stream globally on the same date, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India and other territories where Netflix operates. The anthology is rated for mature audiences and continues the franchise’s focus on stories about love, desire and human connection.
The trailer for Lust Stories 3 was released on September 9, 2026. The two-minute-nineteen-second trailer showed glimpses of four separate tales, with moments of humour, tension and emotional complexity. One scene features a woman explaining that women are not like light bulbs that can be switched on and off, comparing them instead to candles that burn and melt.
Stay connected with VvipTimes for all the latest updates on your favourite films, series and stars from around the world.
Leave a Reply