Radhikka Madan is receiving praise for her performance in ‘Lust Stories 3’, where she stars opposite Ali Fazal in filmmaker Shakun Batra’s segment. The anthology revisits themes of intimacy, desire and relationships, with Batra exploring how sex can become a language for emotions that a struggling married couple finds difficult to express.
Radhikka Madan on how the conversation around desire has evolved
Reflecting on how the ‘Lust Stories’ franchise has changed since its debut in 2018, Radhikka Madan said she sees a positive shift in the way audiences respond to stories about female sexuality. She pointed to Kiara Advani’s self-pleasure scene in Karan Johar’s segment from the first instalment, which generated considerable discussion while also facing criticism at the time.Karan Johar had previously revealed that the scene even made his mother, Hiroo Johar, uncomfortable. According to Radhikka, however, the filmmaker deserves credit for standing by the story and presenting female desire without backing away from the subject.“Credit to them for not backing down! Credit to Karan for telling that story, believing in the idea, voicing it out and stressing on how important it is! He owned it and celebrated it,” she said.
Female agency remains relatively rare but carries weight
Radhikka also acknowledged that stories centred on women’s desires are still fewer in comparison with the volume of hypermasculine narratives in mainstream cinema. However, she pointed out that the filmmakers and actors telling such stories often have significant visibility and influence.“Compare karoge toh kam hai, but hai. (If you compare, it falls short, but it is there) There may be very few voices telling such stories, but they’re all very prominent voices,” she said.
Radhikka says audiences have become less prudish about lust
According to the actor, the response to the ‘Lust Stories’ franchise also reflects a broader change in audience attitudes towards conversations about sex and desire. She recalled how the first instalment was considered controversial by some viewers but said the filmmakers continued to explore intimate subjects without reducing them to mere provocation.“When the first season of ‘Lust Stories’ came, people were like, ‘Haw! That’s too bold.’ But the makers didn’t give up. They didn’t include intimate scenes in their stories just to titillate the audience. The franchise brought to the fore such important voices, who continued sharing their thoughts on sex and desire,” she said.Radhikka further observed that the latest instalment approaches lust with greater openness and sensitivity.“Four top filmmakers of the country came together to make Lust Stories 3 with so much sensitivity. Stories about lust shouldn’t give rise to ‘hai tauba’. And this time, there’s not much ‘hai tauba’. Lust as a topic of conversation has become normalised, which is a big win. We’ve to keep at it. Films on hypermasculinity will be made, and so will stories on women’s agency.”
Radhikka Madan opens up about unlearning shame around desire
The actor also spoke about her own journey towards changing the way she perceives lust and sexuality. She said social conditioning often teaches people to associate desire with shame and impurity, something she gradually had to unlearn.“We get conditioned a certain way. We were told that feeling lust means you aren’t pure and that lust is dirty and crass. One would be name-called and tagged ‘lusty’ if they would even think of sex. But it’s the most basic emotion every human being goes through,” she said.She added that desire is as natural as other fundamental human emotions and needs.“It’s as natural as happiness, excitement, hunger and grief. It’s an equally beautiful part of yourself. Why be ashamed of it? Why look at it as taboo? It took me time to unlearn all of that, and when I did, I really accepted myself wholly, and that gave me a different sense of comfort and confidence in my own skin.”
More about Radhikka Madan and ‘Lust Stories 3’
Radhikka Madan stars opposite Ali Fazal in Shakun Batra’s segment of ‘Lust Stories 3’, the latest instalment of Netflix’s anthology franchise exploring relationships, intimacy, desire and sexuality. The third edition features segments directed by Kiran Rao, Vikramaditya Motwane, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj.The anthology also stars Sana Thampi, Gurfateh Pirzada, Radhika Apte, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ali Fazal, Radhika Madan, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth, among others. ‘Lust Stories 3’ premiered on Netflix on September 18.
Leave a Reply