Lust Stories 3 has taken a different approach to the portrayal of desire by shifting the focus towards the female gaze. Vishal Bhardwaj, who has directed one of the four segments in the Netflix anthology, has spoken about his decision to present Siddharth as an object of desire from Aditi Rao Hydari’s character’s perspective.
The filmmaker said the approach allowed him to explore a dynamic that is often seen in the opposite direction in mainstream cinema. His segment is set in Hyderabad and features the real-life couple Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth sharing the screen after their marriage.
Vishal Bhardwaj on Objectifying Siddharth
Speaking about the casting and creative approach, Vishal Bhardwaj explained that he wanted to portray desire from the woman's perspective. According to the filmmaker, casting Aditi Rao Hydari made it easier to visualise the intimate portions and present Siddharth through her character's gaze.
The director's comments have drawn attention because male actors are less frequently presented through this kind of visual perspective in mainstream Bollywood.
The idea also became an important part of the segment's visual language, with Siddharth's character being presented as the object of his on-screen wife's imagination and desire.
Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth’s Roles
In Vishal Bhardwaj's segment, Aditi Rao Hydari plays Saira, a literature teacher living in Hyderabad in the early 1980s. Siddharth portrays her husband, Badru.
The story explores Saira's imagination, desire and personal journey within her marriage. The period setting also allows the filmmaker to examine social expectations surrounding women and relationships.
The segment marks the couple's first Hindi film together. They previously worked together in the 2021 Tamil-Telugu film Maha Samudram and later got married in 2024.
Why the Female Gaze Became Important
The decision to reverse the conventional dynamic was deliberate. Bollywood has frequently presented female actors through visual framing focused on beauty and physical appearance, while male characters are less often subjected to the same treatment.
Vishal's segment attempts to turn that dynamic around by making Siddharth the visual focus of Saira's desire.
Aditi Rao Hydari also discussed the change in perspective, saying that it was refreshing to see the traditional gender dynamic flipped. Her comments highlighted the unusual experience of having the male character presented as the object of attraction.
Lust Stories 3 Explores Female Desire
The third instalment of the Lust Stories anthology brings together four filmmakers: Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj.
The four stories explore different aspects of desire, relationships and intimacy. Interestingly, the filmmakers have largely approached these themes through female perspectives.
The anthology features actors including Konkona Sen Sharma, Radhika Apte, Gurfateh Pirzada, Sana Thampi, Ali Fazal, Radhika Madan, Vijay Varma, Abhishek Banerjee, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth.
Siddharth and Aditi’s Real-Life Chemistry
The casting of Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth also brought additional interest because the two actors are married in real life.
However, both actors have explained that their personal relationship did not make the intimate scenes automatically easier. They approached the characters professionally, with the focus remaining on the director's vision and the requirements of the story.
Their familiarity with each other nevertheless adds another layer to the segment, particularly because they play a married couple navigating desire and emotional distance.
Lust Stories 3 Arrives on Netflix
Lust Stories 3 began streaming on Netflix on September 18, 2026. The anthology continues the franchise's exploration of relationships, intimacy and changing attitudes towards desire.
Vishal Bhardwaj's segment has particularly attracted attention for its Hyderabad setting, period backdrop and reversal of the conventional gaze.
By presenting Siddharth through Aditi Rao Hydari's character's perspective, the filmmaker has created a gender reversal that forms a key part of the segment's storytelling.
The anthology's broader approach also reflects an attempt to explore female desire without relying entirely on familiar cinematic portrayals of women as objects of attraction.
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