When Lust Stories, the Emmy-nominated 2018 anthology on modern relationships dropped, it came with a set of truth bombs about female pleasure. Now, the series is back with a second star-studded edition. On the cast list of Lust Stories 2 are Kajol and Kumud Mishra who star in Badhaai ho director Amit Sharma's short film. For a movie personality as iconic as Kajol to blend into the bold realism that the upcoming film promises seems like an anomaly but she thinks her filmography is exactly what permits her to experiment."There is no belief in eternal love stories," says the actress who has starred in timeless Bollywood romance dramas including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. And that's just a fragment of the musings the cast and filmmaker had while making the short. In an exclusive interview, Kajol, joined by her co-star Kumud Mishra and director Amit Sharma, opened up about Lust Stories 2, the evolution of lust on screen and more.
When was the first time you became aware of lust? Kajol: Well, I'm a reader. I've always loved reading since I was a kid. My understanding of lust started with that. To me, lust is an intense need to do something. I always describe myself as having an intense lust for life. I love to eat, I love to dance, I love to listen to music, I love to knit and crochet. There are so many things in my life that I love like going out with my children. They crack me up and I love laughing and making people laugh. There are so many things that I absolutely love and I need to do them. That by definition is lust. Kumud: We know the meaning of the word but nobody accepts its effect on themselves. If you accept it, a lot of issues will get solved. So the whole world is still figuring it out. I'm figuring it out too and probably will after the experience of filming Lust Stories 2. Amit: I don't understand why people take lust as a negative word. Lust can be for anything. Before falling in love the first attraction is lust. I don't know why we take it in a negative context. I don't remember that one trigger point for me. But while it's taken in a negative way, it's important. That's how relationships start.
A huge part of Lust Stories is normalising the portrayal of female pleasure on screen. How important is that? Kajol: At one point in time as a society, we were very open about it. It was part of our ancient texts and our education. We later closed ourselves off from it. But at the end of the day, it is a very normal part of life that we cannot do without. I think it needs to be normalised the same way that we've normalised eating and drinking. It's really a question of making it a part of the conversation rather than closing it off. Trying not to talk about it gives it all the more attention and focus. Amit: Correct, spring jitna dabaoge utna uchlega. What made you come on board for the series? Kajol: I never think about my filmography when I'm picking a film. I like the fact that I'm here today and I've done all this work so that I'm able to choose exactly what I want to do without any consequences. My filmography lets me do that. Honestly, I was a little taken aback when I heard this script. I wasn't sure if I would be able to play this character or not. But I have to say that I left this big detail in my director's hands and said okay, I've done my job. Now it's your job to make me look good. Whatever happens, take care of it hahah. Kumud: For me, the process is in the script. If the script is good, all the character details you need are in there. Whatever is hidden, you have to find it. And then of course the director helps you with anything you're missing. I also look for my qualities - good and bad from the text. Do you look for a personal connection with your characters? Kajol: I think every character you play has a personal connection with you. You take that one aspect of it and blow it up and make it a character. But all the characters you play including a killer are all a part of you. If you were pushed to that extent. That's how my character is as well. I think that the royals [Kajol plays royalty in the short] must be intensely practical people. There must be a very strong vein of partiality and realism. And that's pretty much how she is.
What kind of research went into fleshing out the characters in the script? Amit: A lot of research went into the kind of characters they are playing, how they carry themselves, and whether they have money. As people and emotional beings, how do they look at life? How do people look at them? All that research was done while writing the script. So a lot has gone into the writing in terms of characterisation of each and every character. Detailing was the key here. Even if a scene needs a fly, it was all very important.
How much has the portrayal of lust evolved over the years from the iconic Bollywood romances to Lust Stories 2?
Kajol: Lust used to be two flowers coming together at one point. Two red roses used to come together and that was it. Next, she's pregnant hahaha. So I think we've evolved just a step forward and decided to make something like Lust Stories 2. I believe cinema reflects society. Right now, the movies are speaking in the language that love is defined by today. As far as eternal love stories are concerned, I don't think anyone believes in it today. Nobody wants to die for anyone for sure. There is no belief in eternal love stories. If not you, there will be someone else. People believe in multiple soulmates these days. And therefore, all the love stories we've made so far have been very differently made. They're based more on friendships, modern relationships and society.
Amit: I would say that we have gotten more into reality. The way films are shot - like every film production isn't going to Switzerland. We're seeing a real-looking cinema that I enjoy making. So reality has seeped into the screens. We used to show two flowers colliding and now if it's necessary we also show kissing scenes on screen. I think we're opening up. Not just in showing lust but in every aspect of filmmaking including the technical. Today we showcase single mothers. Nobody would want to watch single mothers earlier because there were taboos around it. Like that, there are many subjects we can touch upon like the LGBTQ+ communities. Society is opening up and in a very good way. People are accepting of it.
Lust Stories 2 will release on June 29, 2023.
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