The phrase 'blue movie' used to carry a weight of genuine confusion on Indian sets. Vishal Bhardwaj just gave proof. He told Variety India that in the past, actresses would approach him to ask if they were 'going to use tongue' in a specific scene. He had to turn around and ask the male actor. The silence that followed was, in his words, 'very odd.'
That era is fading, replaced by the presence of intimacy coordinators. Bhardwaj calls the practice 'incredible,' noting that these professionals now handle the choreography and consent, taking the pressure off the director. It’s a professional courtesy that keeps the creative flow intact without turning the set into an awkward interrogation room. For his segment in Lust Stories 3, he also had a built-in advantage: the leads, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth, are married. '50% of that awkwardness went away,' he admitted, crediting their real-life comfort for smoothing out the shoot.
Comfort doesn't mean everyone follows the script, though. Bhardwaj shared a lighter anecdote about a shot where the camera was focused on Aditi's legs while Siddharth crawled. Body doubles were arranged for both. But Aditi saw the setup and pushed back. 'But my legs are not so fat,' she said, insisting on performing the shot herself. It’s a small detail, but it highlights the shift in how actors engage with their own bodies and the craft on screen.
Lust Stories 3 is the latest entry in Netflix's anthology, joining segments from Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, and Shakun Batra. With Radhika Apte, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Vijay Varma also in the mix, the franchise continues to push boundaries in Indian streaming cinema. The series remains a key player in the space, balancing intimate storytelling with high-profile direction.