So friends, Netflix’s Gandi Baat, aka Lust Stories 3, is finally here. Personally, I didn’t find the first two installments particularly impressive, and I had initially thought I’d come up with some wild intro for this one, but my perspective shifted a bit after watching the movie.
Why?
Let’s spill some tea!
Lust Stories 3: Four Stories, Four Different Takes
Well, Lust Stories 3 is, once again, an anthology featuring four distinct short films by four different directors, combined into a single feature with a runtime of 2 hours and 44 minutes.
Now, rather than reviewing the whole thing in one go, I think it’s better to break down each story and review them individually.
Vikramaditya Motwane’s Story
First of all, the first story is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and revolves around two women grappling with a mid-life crisis. Essentially, they’re not getting enough action and are desperate for a change in their lives, which leads them to consider “husband swapping.”
Yes, you’ve heard of “wife swapping”, which is pretty disgusting, so they toyed with that very idea.
To find out what happens next and whether their plan succeeds, you’ll have to watch the movie; specifically, the first segment.
Honestly, when I heard the premise, a question crossed my mind: “What if men did this?” Well, a female character in the movie raises that same question. I felt it was good that the issue was at least addressed.
And I was impressed by the way the story unfolded.
This short film goes beyond just bedroom fights; it explains a lot more, and I really liked the climax.
I was thoroughly impressed to see that they didn’t just throw in that ‘wokeism’ element or serve up the kind of trash I was expecting. They presented a different perspective, and for that reason, I’d rate this movie three out of five.
Kiran Rao’s Story
Now, let’s move on to the second short film directed by Kiran Rao. Honestly, it is better not to label it merely as a love story; aside from a couple of intimate scenes, the narrative is essentially a thriller. It revolves around a Punjabi guy living in Mumbai who meets a girl from Kerala. A romance develops between them, but then certain twists unfold that I am quite certain will leave you shocked.
Believe it or not, I found this to be the best short film of the entire anthology; it truly succeeded in impressing me. There was no gratuitous vulgarity—it was included only where the story demanded it, rather than just for the sake of over-exposure.
For this reason, I would rate this film 3.5/10.
Shakun Batra’s Story
The third story comes from Shakun Batra. It revolves around a newlywed couple: the wife feels her mother-in-law is interfering too much, while the husband constantly sides with his mother. Matters escalate to the point of divorce.
What happens next? You’d have to watch the movie to find out—though I’d advise against it.
I’d call this the worst segment of the entire anthology.
Sure, there are two or three scenes that might arouse the ‘mouse’ between your legs, but beyond that, there is absolutely nothing—nothing at all that would impress you.
Radhika Madan used to be my crush, but this performance just crushed my brain. Bro, she isn’t even acting well anymore. 1.5/5 for this movie.
Vishal Bhardwaj’s Story
Vishal Bhardwaj directed the fourth segment, but it failed to impress; it depicts a story set in the past, focusing on how women lacked agency or proper consideration—highlighting how men were often self-centered, looking out only for themselves and leaving once their needs were met. It doesn’t delve too deeply into the details, though the film’s setting was quite good.
Aditi Rao Hydari’s performance is excellent. Siddharth appears alongside her and does a great job as well.
For me, this was a 2/5 kind of movie.
The Performances
Well, I didn’t talk about the actors in the first two stories. The second story featured unfamiliar faces—actors I hadn’t seen before—but everyone performed well.
In the first story, Radhika Apte (the Netflix regular) gave a very poor performance. Konkona Sen, on the other hand, was excellent; Vijay Varma and Abhishek Banerjee were also part of the cast, and both delivered great performances.
Lust Stories 3: Final Verdict
All in all, the first two stories were personally the best for me. You could watch the movie just for those.
There is no need for parental guidance here, as the film is full of profanity and adult scenes. So, avoid watching it with your family.
Still hungry for some Lust Stories 3 tea? Check out my Lust Stories 3 Movie Review for another take on the anthology.