Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Radhika Apte Criticizes Bollywood’s Romanticized Stalking
Radhika Apte talked about how some older Bollywood movies showed stalking as romance.
She said these films often ignored a woman when she said no.
She explained that this influenced how some young women understood love and desire.
Apte said she is a big Shah Rukh Khan fan but felt shocked when she revisited some of his older movies.
She also said that Bollywood has changed, although more improvement is needed.
Shakun Batra said older filmmakers were trying to explore desire, but their stories still often showed women through a male point of view.
Apte said this can make poor treatment seem connected to attraction.
She believes desire should not be confused with being treated badly.
Apte and Batra were discussing these issues while promoting Lust Stories 3.
Radhika Apte said older Bollywood romances often treated pursuing a woman after she said no as romantic.
She said Shah Rukh Khan’s older films helped shape troubling ideas about desire among young women, including herself.
Apte said Bollywood has improved but still has progress to make for women, men and society.
Shakun Batra discussed the male gaze and sexualization of women in Raj Kapoor’s films, including Mera Naam Joker and Ram Teri Ganga Maili.
Apte stars in Vikramaditya Motwane’s segment of Lust Stories 3, which is scheduled to release on Netflix on September 18.
- Who
- Actor Radhika Apte and filmmaker Shakun Batra discussed the portrayal of desire, stalking and women in Bollywood cinema.
- What
- Apte criticized older Bollywood romances for romanticizing stalking and ignoring women’s refusal; Batra discussed the male gaze in earlier films.
- When
- The comments were made in a recent News18 interview; Lust Stories 3 is scheduled to release on September 18, with no year specified.
- Where
- The discussion was reported in connection with Bollywood cinema and Lust Stories 3, which will release on Netflix.
- Why
- They were examining how films shaped ideas about desire and how women are portrayed and sexualized on screen.
Critique of Earlier Bollywood Portrayals
Earlier Filmmakers’ Attempts to Challenge Conventions
Romance and refusal
Critique of Earlier Bollywood Portrayals
Radhika Apte said older films treated chasing women as romantic and failed to respect a woman’s “no.”
Earlier Filmmakers’ Attempts to Challenge Conventions
The discussion did not defend stalking, but emphasized that cinematic portrayals and ideas about desire have evolved over time.
Male gaze and sexualization
Critique of Earlier Bollywood Portrayals
Apte argued that women were sexualized and viewed through a male gaze, sometimes linking desire with oppressive or poor treatment.
Earlier Filmmakers’ Attempts to Challenge Conventions
Shakun Batra said Raj Kapoor at least attempted to explore desire and push against the system, even if those films lacked current awareness.
Progress in cinema
Critique of Earlier Bollywood Portrayals
Apte said Bollywood still has a long way to go in representing women, men and society.
Earlier Filmmakers’ Attempts to Challenge Conventions
Apte and Batra both acknowledged that Bollywood has come a long way and that filmmakers who try something different can help move the medium forward.
- Speaker
- Radhika Apte
- Other filmmaker quoted
- Shakun Batra
- Films discussed
- Mera Naam Joker and Ram Teri Ganga Maili
- Central criticism
- Older romances portrayed chasing women and disregarding “no” as romance.
- Upcoming project
- Lust Stories 3
- Release platform
- Netflix
- Release date
- September 18; the year was not specified