Lust Stories

This movie successfully explores the regressive Indian sexuality and especially women's sexuality. The first part direced by Anurag Kashyap was really commendable with terrific performance by Radhika Apte. The second part directed by Zoya Akhtar was just okay. I loved seeing Manisha Koirala after a long time with a powerful role. The best part although was Karan Johar's which was hilarious and at the time had a beautiful message which is also my title for the review. One scene from the movie reminded me of a similar scene in Veere di wedding which was pathbreaking. 1st part- 4 stars 2nd part- 3 stars 3rd part- 3.5 stars 4th part- 4.5 stars

Four very different directors explore four very different shades of lust in Lust Stories, though the common ground in each is the theme of female desire, as it attempts to cut through the strait-jackets of morality, patriarchy and class.

The anthology begins with Anurag Kashyap's film, where in the very first scene, the protagonist Kalindi (Radhika Apte) is leaning out of a cab window, as it zips down the road. She's carefree, liberated, and en-route to a one-night-stand. Next to her is the visibly younger and visibly nervous Tejas (Akash Thosar). Once they're in his room, he tries to keep up with her - intellectually and sexually - as she mocks his Chetan Bhagat book collection and teases him about his lack of sexual experience. She doesn't just take charge in bed, but also his virginity.

Hereon the power dynamic between them gets murkier, as Akash happens to be Kalindi's student. Kalindi - the one ostensibly in power and often abusing it - also often seems to be the one without it, with both Tejas and her 12-years-older husband Mihir, who is encouraging her to "explore her sexuality". Radhika brings out this dichotomy of her character flawlessly, and Akash matches her performance perfectly as the clueless Tejas, who has no choice but to go along on this ride.

Zoya Akhtar's film opens with Sudha (Bhumi Pednekar) and Ajit (Neil Bhoopalam) in the throes of passion. Their intimacy devolves immediately after, when Sudha drops down on her knees to maaro pauncha. It's like the chasm of class between them splits wide open the second they are clothed, and she's revealed to be his maid. The divide gets starker still, when Ajit's parents drop into his bachelor pad to fix his rishta, or when she's asked to prepare tea for his prospective in-laws and fiancee.

It isn't so much the characters, as the choreography of Zoya Akhtar's scenes that do the talking. The family members crammed in the drawing room, shifting seats, lifting up their feet as Sudha sweeps the floor. The sounds of Ajit's father in the bathroom, flushing the pot, as Sudha irons their clothes in the room next to it. Sudha-Ajit's a sexual intimacy may seem almost deviant in a society such as theirs, yet there's a daily intimacy that plays out between the family and their domestic help, that's barely acknowledged, except in the form of gifts such as leftover mithais and slightly-ripped-kurtas. When the characters do speak, they only ever seem to indulge in small talk, be it Ajit's parents and their prospective in-laws' mind-numbing conversation on the difference between their Diwali celebrations, or even the maid-next-door gossiping with Sudha about the woman she works for. The banality of the topics seem to masquerade as normality, and the only thing that pierces through these layers of hypocrisy is Sudha's desire. Be it the acting, directing, sets or sound - this is a film that says a lot, without saying much at all.

"Kaisi lag rahi hoon?" Reena (Manisha Koirala) asks Sudhir (Jaideep Ahlawat), as she emerges from the waves in a swimsuit, in the first scene of Dibakar Banerjee's film. "Do bachchon ki maa," replies Sudhir, setting the tone for the story ahead.

Reena is married to Sudhir's best friend Salman (Sanjay Kapoor), and the two have been having an affair behind the latter's back for the past three years. Some of this has to do with the fact that Reena's identity seems to have dwindled down to "do bacchon ki maa" over the years. Or teen bachche, if you count Salman ("You want a mother, not a wife," she chides him at one point). Yet, her affair barely lets her escape from that identity either. When she suggests to Sudhir at one point, that they tell Salman about them, he asks her, "what about the children?". "Why does everyone bring up my children, when I am talking about my happiness?" she retorts.

The awkward dynamics between the trio play out at Sudhir's beach house, when they are forced to confront (or may be not) the crossroads each of them are at. All three actors have given complex, layered performances - Sanjay Kapoor, as the husband who can't see beyond Reena as the "wife, mother, hostess" package, and him as the providor of her "allowances"; Manisha as the fed-up, and now conscience-less wife, who has no qualms about playing the two friends against each other; and Jaideep, a jaded lover and dubious best friend, who's only interested in maintaining status quo.

Karan Johar doesn't let go of any of his Karan Johar-isms in his film, be it the elaborate costumes, music or even a wedding sequence. The story - that revolves around Megha (Kiara Advani) a newlywed who has to come to terms with fact that her husband is a major disappointment in bed - is an exploration of female desire, and how it is stifled, policed, controlled or ignored. Subtle isn't KJo's forte, and so, the film often ends up carrying a public service announcement-type quality. What works is the acting. Kiara Advani, who plays Megha - the bahu-next-door seeking sexual satisfaction, balances the OTT script and settings with a performance that is just-right. Vicky Kaushal is endearing as Paras, the fumbling husband-lover. Neha Dhupia impresses too, as the risque-blouse-wearing divorcee who likes to pleasure herself in libraries and encourages Kiara to explore her sexuality. Much ado has been made about the Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham 'climax' sequence, which is, well, amusing and self aware. Still, the film sticks out more than it fits in with anthology.

First - Anurag Kashyap

The first episode highly relies on Radhika Apte's phenomenal acting chops. She is natural and convincing and her monologues are absolutely spot on. The entire chapter becomes quite comedic and funny thanks to her strong presence and understanding of the script's slightly ironic tone. Does the episode live up to her performance? Well, it is dictated by it, and so the episode is just as enjoyable as her performance, so it's great. I highly doubt it would have been equally as good had someone else been in charge of acting out this difficult role, but Anurag Kashyap should definitely be given credit for making it what it is.

Second - Zoya Akhtar

Not a big fan of Zoya Akhtar but growing to appreciate her talent especially after this fantastic and strong episode, which provides an important commentary on India's social hierarchy and addresses themes of class, arranged marriages, and the traces of some conservative values of Indian culture in modern-day India. The one who carries this entire thing on her able shoulders is the absolutely wonderful Bhumi Pednekar, who is unafraid to look earthy, real, and not at her prettiest. More than anything, her short performance, especially in that brilliant scene as she is filmed walking with the platter in her hands, looking all on the verge of a breakdown, is very strong and affecting. Great, great work.

Third - Dibakar Banerjee

I've been quite fond of Banerjee's filmmaking. I remember having really loved Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) and the likes, but this chapter is sadly, just pointless. I really didn't get the purpose or message of the story and it dragged quite a bit. The only saving grace here, except for the nice exteriors, is obviously the excellent Manisha Koirala, who has rarely been less than good even in the most outrageous mainstream films of her career. She makes this episode quite watchable, but she deserved more.

Fourth - Karan Johar

Well, it's a nice one, indeed, but not that great and quite predictable. Karan Johar has improved a lot as a filmmaker but he's still clinging to a lot of clichés and often catches up on different social trends too late. The feminist message that women have desires too is a little too corny, a little too obvious, and quite preachy altogether. But it's a very enjoyable chapter nonetheless, mainly due to the wonderful and brave Kiara Advani, who gives a nuanced and restrained performance, especially in that famous scene. Good support from Vicky Kaushal does good to the entire episode.

There comes a film every once in a while that tries too hard to convey a message but falls flat on its own face mostly due to a lack of substantial content and heavy doses of embellishments. Netflix's Lust Stories is one such anthology film with four 30-minute stories that aspire to break taboos associated with women's sexuality but are, in fact, purveyors of nonsense. Except for Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap hitting one or two right chords with their stories about vaginal pleasure and emotional attachment respectively, Lust Stories gasps for freshness and logic. While Johar's young housewife (Kiara Advani) is dissatisfied with her husband's performance on bed and so looks for external stimuli in a righteous way, Kashyap's teacher (Radhika Apte) is obsessed with a youngster who she had a poontang with despite telling him herself to not take it to the heart. Zoya Akhtar comes in third with her excellently acted trash about a housemaid (Bhumi Pednekar) taken for granted by her bachelor employer after they engage in some nasty sex. There's not even a sprinkle of inference you can gather from the story other than the subtle performance by the cast which also include Neil Bhoopalam. Dibakar Banerjee certainly did not get the memo as his story looks like a nonsensical excerpt from an awful book. Manisha Koirala takes cues from Banerjee to take marital decisions for her character while enjoying the mess she has made the lives of two men and vice versa. (I mean it, don't tell me otherwise.) The music and overall cast performance is good and high-energy, thanks to Netflix, but the content seems like it was concocted just to frame it with the word 'feminism' and then sent for human consumption. I get it when Johar tries to highlight the importance of women's sexuality but it does not have to be forced, just like the little humor that Lust Stories overall boasts of. Don't waste your time unless you want to have a look at how the actors look when they act 'it'. TN.

I watched this series with a lot of hope. But it falls flat on it's face. Either the filmmakers slept walked through the making or tried too hard. Apart from Karan Johar's movie, the rest delivers almost nothing. Anurag Kashyap's movie tries to ask a few important questions about love and existence. Yet it fails to make an impact.

Joya Akhtar and Banerjee fails to impress. It's Karan Johar who makes it watchable and puts across question of female desire and pleasure. Something not seen in popular media.

You can watch it once. But not something you will ever come back to.