Archive · 20 Sep 2026
Lust Stories 3 Sparks Debate Over Intimacy, Performances and Humor
Lust Stories 3 is a movie made of four separate stories.
Each story looks at relationships, attraction and problems between people.
One story follows a married couple who become intimate whenever they try to discuss their troubles.
Ali Fazal plays the husband, and some viewers said his character reminded them of Guddu Pandit from Mirzapur.
Another story features Radhika Apte and Konkona Sen Sharma as women in unhappy marriages.
Radhika Apte also repeats a line from the first Lust Stories film.
Some viewers liked the acting and the themes.
Other viewers thought the anthology was dull, boring or more like a comedy.
The film created many different reactions online after its release.
Netflix released the four-part Lust Stories 3 anthology on Friday, with stories directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj.
Shakun Batra’s segment follows Varun and Sejal, a married couple whose emotional problems are intertwined with their intimate relationship.
Viewers compared Ali Fazal’s character Varun with his Guddu Pandit role from Mirzapur, while others praised or criticised the performances.
The anthology explores modern intimacy, emotional disconnection, female desire, temptation, betrayal and hidden fantasies.
Social-media reactions were divided, with some praising Radhika Apte and Konkona Sen Sharma while others called the film boring or unfunny.
- Who
- The anthology features Ali Fazal, Radhika Madan, Radhika Apte, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vijay Varma, Gurfateh Pirzada, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth, among others.
- What
- Lust Stories 3, a four-part anthology about intimacy, relationships, emotional disconnection and desire, was released and sparked mixed online reactions.
- When
- The anthology was released on Friday; the article identifies it as a 2026 release.
- Where
- The film was released on Netflix, while much of the reported reaction came from social media platform X.
- Why
- The stories examine complicated relationships, temptation, emotional betrayal, hidden fantasies and the consequences of crossing boundaries.
Positive and thematic readings
Critical and dismissive reactions
Overall quality
Positive and thematic readings
Some viewers praised the anthology, particularly the first segment and the performances of Radhika Apte and Konkona Sen Sharma.
Critical and dismissive reactions
Other viewers said the film was boring, dull, uninteresting or best skipped.
Meaning beyond intimate scenes
Positive and thematic readings
Some viewers said the stories examine temptation, forbidden desire, emotional betrayal, hidden fantasies and boundary-crossing consequences.
Critical and dismissive reactions
Some commenters focused on the film’s lack of entertainment, joking that it made viewers lose interest or even lose their sense of lust.
Ali Fazal’s performance
Positive and thematic readings
Viewers engaged with Fazal’s character Varun and discussed the relationship dynamics portrayed in the segment.
Critical and dismissive reactions
Some viewers felt he had not escaped his Guddu Pandit persona from Mirzapur, saying the new role resembled that character.
- Platform
- Netflix
- Format
- Four-part anthology film
- Directors
- Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj
- Shakun Batra segment
- Follows Varun and Sejal, a married couple caught in a toxic cycle of intimacy and relationship conflict
- First segment
- Features Radhika Apte as Padma and Konkona Sen Sharma as Shonali, two women in sexless marriages
- Key themes
- Modern intimacy, emotional disconnect, female desire, temptation and betrayal
- Audience response
- Reactions ranged from praise for the acting and themes to criticism that the anthology was boring or dull