Inside Scoop: Lust Stories 3 Collaborators Revealed by Ashi Dua

The third installment of the “Lust Stories” franchise is set to captivate audiences with its unique blend of storytelling from four acclaimed filmmakers. Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra, and Vishal Bhardwaj each contribute their distinct styles to the anthology, exploring various aspects of relationships, intimacy, and desire. Producer Ashi Dua recently shared insights into the creative process behind “Lust Stories 3,” shedding light on how each director approached their segment.

Vikramaditya Motwane’s Unique Vision

Ashi Dua praised Vikramaditya Motwane as one of India’s finest filmmakers, revealing that he initially had multiple ideas before settling on the story featured in “Lust Stories 3.” “He is one of the finest filmmakers that we have, and of course we were very excited to go to him, and he did have a couple of other ideas that he wanted to do before the story finally happened,” Ashi explained. She noted that the team was pushing for something lighter and more fun, which led to Motwane’s eventual concept. “Then he came up with this idea, and then we all immediately fell in love, and we thought it was very fun and very easy and very unlike Vikram,” she added.

Ashi also highlighted Motwane’s casting choices, particularly the decision to feature Konkona Sen Sharma and Radhika Apte together. “And then when he had the casting idea that he had with Konkona Sen and Radhika Apte, it was just great. Like you had two of the best actresses and it just worked out with him,” she said. The collaborative process involved refining Motwane’s initial concepts, but Ashi expressed satisfaction with the final choice. “There were two other films, two stories that he had in mind, and by the time we arrived at the story it was a process, but I’m glad we stuck to this one,” she concluded.

Kiran Rao’s Immediate Success

Kiran Rao stood out among the filmmakers, as her first idea for the anthology was embraced by the entire team. Ashi noted that they had anticipated a more serious tone from Rao but were pleasantly surprised by the mainstream and thriller elements in her story. “Kiran was the only one out of the four whose first idea we all loved. Really, this was the first story she came up with, and we all loved it,” Ashi stated.

She further elaborated on the unexpected direction of Rao’s narrative. “And the thing is, we also thought Kiran is going to come up with something a little more serious, but then this was like, oh, this is like really mainstream and commercial and really fun and had a thrill element to it, which people will watch,” Ashi remarked. The collaboration with producer-writer Tanaji Dasgupta also played a crucial role in shaping the story. “And instantly when she narrated, she and her producer, Tanaji Dasgupta, who’s written the story, narrated it to us and all of us loved it,” she added.

The Challenge of Collaborating with Vishal Bhardwaj

Working with the esteemed Vishal Bhardwaj presented a unique challenge for the team, given his extensive body of work and reputation in the industry. Ashi acknowledged the difficulty of navigating creative discussions with such a senior filmmaker but praised Bhardwaj for his openness to feedback. “The minute it becomes somebody as senior as Vishal, doing back and forth becomes really hard because we’ve literally watched his movies when we were in school,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Ashi appreciated Bhardwaj’s willingness to engage in dialogue about story ideas. “It was very hard, but even with him there was a lot of back and forth on story ideas, and he’s such a sport, and he’s so amazing, and he surrounds himself with a lot of young people,” she explained. She also commended Bhardwaj for being receptive to suggestions. “If he tells you something and you tell him, Vishal ji, we don’t understand it, so he’s like, oh okay. So he’s very open to listening to people, and he was very open to our feedback and has been a complete trooper on this one,” Ashi stated.

Shakun Batra’s Relationship Drama

Ashi Dua expressed enthusiasm for Shakun Batra’s contribution to “Lust Stories 3,” noting that he developed two scripts before the team settled on the final story. “He also came up with two scripts which were really fab too. Then we all stuck with this one,” she said. Ashi described Batra as a filmmaker from her generation and praised his previous work, particularly “Kapoor & Sons.” “Shakun is more our generation of a filmmaker and his previous, like Kapoor and Sons, has been one of, I think, one of my favourite films,” she remarked.

Batra’s exploration of relationship dynamics in his segment excited Ashi. “I was very excited when he decided to do this relationship drama that he’s done for Lust Stories and just Shakun is so sensitive with his storytelling, with his characters, with the relationships that it’s just really beautiful,” she noted. She also mentioned that the final version of Batra’s story exceeded the team’s expectations. “When we finally arrived at the story, from what we read to what is finally on screen, I think he’s elevated it even more than that, and we’re very happy with that story too,” she concluded.

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