Netflix’s 'Lust Stories 3' Cast And Character Guide

While the 3rd release of Netflix’s Hindi anthology franchise Lust Stories is definitely not as impressive or sensational as the first installment way back in 2018, it still mostly holds on to the same fervor and style. After all, stories of romance, lust, and desire can never get too old, especially as the franchise keeps experimenting with the genre and the implementation of its core themes. Another characteristic that has remained constant throughout the 3 installments is the casting of big names, both in terms of the actors and the directors. This time around, the four stories have been directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra, and Vishal Bhardwaj, in that specific order. Here’s a list of all the actors who appear in Lust Stories 3, and a brief introduction to the characters they play.

Konkona Sen Sharma as Shonali

Indian actress, writer, and filmmaker Konkona Sen Sharma, who directed one of the segments of the previous iteration, now returns in the role of an actress, playing Shonali. In Vikramaditya Motwane’s segment in the film, Shonali is a confident and vocal woman who believes in women taking agency of their own lives. But she is distressed by the current situation in her romantic life, as her husband no longer seems to be interested in her. Frustrated by the lack of action in the bedroom, Shonali wants to desperately do something to change the situation. This is when she is inspired by her favorite Korean drama show to switch partners with her best friend for a night, just to spice things up in their romantic lives. The ever-brilliant Konkona Sen Sharma is best known for her performances in Wake Up Sid, Page 3, and for her directed film, A Death in the Gunj.

Radhika Apte as Padma

Indian actress Radhika Apte stars as Padma, the best friend and coworker of Shonali, who is equally distressed at the lack of intimacy in her marriage of 15 years. But unlike her friend, Padma does not believe that the plan to swap partners is a logical solution to their problem. Despite being a fan of the same Korean drama, she believes that such practices only create more troubles in the Indian context and society, as our value system is quite different. However, Padma is not strong enough to turn down the plan completely, and she is also intrigued because of the lack of sexual action in her life. Thus, Padma is eventually convinced by her best friend to go ahead with the plan. Radhika Apte had starred in Lust Stories (2018) as well, and is best known for her performances in Parched, Andhadhun, and Sacred Games.

Vijay Varma as Hemant

Indian actor Vijay Varma stars as Hemant, the husband of Padma. Hemant does not seem too stressed about most things in life, now that he is well settled with a wife and kids. Instead of spending time with Padma and expressing his love for her, Hemant prefers scrolling on his phone and laughing his way to sleep every night. He is clueless about the plan that his wife has made, and believes that they are all heading for a weekend trip to celebrate the birthday of their friends’ son. Although shy and reserved at first, Hemant gradually starts to enjoy himself in the company of Shonali. Vijay Varma is best known for his roles in Gully Boy, Pink, and Mirzapur. 

Abhishek Banerjee as Debendu

Indian actor Abhishek Banerjee appears as Debendu, the husband of Shonali, who is very aloof about her wants and desires. Just like Hemant, Debendu spends hours on his computer before eventually going to bed. Sometimes, his actions make it seem like he intentionally avoids going to bed together with his wife, for some odd reason. Just as clueless as his friend about the plan of swapping partners over the weekend, Debendu simply wants to have fun during the vacation. Therefore, he is quite happy to get Padma by his side, only because she is willing to go boating with him, unlike his own wife or Hemant. Abhishek Banerjee gained recognition for his powerful performance in Paatal Lok, and is also known for his roles in Stree and Stolen.

Sana Thampi as Lisa

Indian professional model and newcomer actress Sana Thampi is one of the central characters in Kiran Rao’s story, as she plays Lisa, a young woman from Kerala who has recently moved to Mumbai. Lisa has come to the city of dreams in search of better career prospects, and now works as a nail artist at a salon. During a short break from work, she notices an attractive young man who works at a nearby shop, and cannot help but be charmed by him. Soon, Lisa gets into a relationship with this young man, and enjoys the new developments in life. However, her seemingly innocent and loving nature is soon taken advantage of, or so it seems. Sana Thampi is an established model who has worked with multiple Indian and international brands, like Sabyasachi, Kay Beauty and Levi’s to name a few, and has now made her acting debut in Lust Stories 3.

Gurfateh Pirzada as Karan

Indian actor Gurfateh Pirzada plays Karan, the dashing young man that Lisa falls in love with, in the same story. Karan is a hustler who has moved to Mumbai from his native Punjab in search of work, and he is currently employed as a delivery partner at a pizza store. Therefore, most of Karan’s day is spent zooming around the city on his scooter, until he meets Lisa and starts to spend time with her. But there is a secret to Karan and his seemingly ordinary life, for he is seen sneaking a few small packets of drugs into his pizza boxes before making certain deliveries, making it quite clear that he also works as a drug smuggler on the side. Gurfateh Pirzada is best known for his roles in Guilty, Brahmastra: Part One, and The Revolutionaries.

Radhika Madan as Sailee

Indian actress Radhika Madan stars as Sailee in the third story of the film, directed by Shakun Batra. A much more serious presentation than the other stories, this third segment has Sailee and her estranged husband at the center. After 5 years of a rough marriage, Sailee has finally filed for divorce, and her husband has agreed to part ways mutually. Although she has claimed her busy work schedule to be the reason for their marriage failing, as they supposedly get no time to be intimate, the truth is far from it. Sailee has had to deal with numerous uncomfortable situations, especially with regards to the intrusion of her parents-in-law, and she now finally wants to end it all. Radhika Madan started her career as an actress in TV serials, before eventually starring in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, Angrezi Medium, and Ray.

Ali Fazl as Varun

Indian actor Ali Fazl stars as Varun, the soon-to-be-divorced husband of Sailee, who is equally enthusiastic about ending their dysfunctional marriage. Despite having once dreamed of spending the rest of his life with Sailee after being in a relationship with her for just a few months, Varun has now been toughened by the experiences of life. He wants to keep things civil with Sailee now that they are at the very end of their relationship, but things are not so easy for him. Varun too has his own set of complaints, especially with regards to how she seemingly never even tried to understand his efforts and struggles. More importantly, Varun cannot help but feel physically attracted to Sailee at times still, and what makes his situation worse is that Sailee feels the same way, and does not hesitate to reciprocate his advances. Ali Fazl is best known for his roles in web shows like Mirzapur and Ray, and has also starred in Hollywood productions like Furious 7 and Death on the Nile.

Aditi Rao Hydari as Saira

Indian actress Aditi Rao Hydari stars as Saira, the protagonist in the fourth story, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj. Saira is a student of Urdu literature, currently pursuing a doctoral degree, and she also often works as a substitute teacher at the department of literature in the same college. She has very high regards for litterateurs, especially those who wrote romantic poetry, and she wants to instill the same level of appreciation among her students. Therefore, Saira is understandably irritated when her students tell her about the popularity of a novel series of erotic stories, for she immediately considers them to be dirty mutilation of the beautiful and pristine world of literature. Aditi Rao Hydari has starred in numerous Indian films of various languages, and she is best known for her roles in Rockstar, Padmaavat, and Heeramandi.

Siddharth as Badru

Indian actor and producer Siddharth stars as Saira’s husband, Badru, who is extremely caring and loving towards her. A doctor of homeopathy by profession, Badru is not good at expressing his romantic feelings, and especially at being passionate while getting intimate, which is a point of sadness for Saira. He is more concerned about the anatomical and emotional well-being of his wife. Badru is a very supportive husband too, as he wholly encourages her to pursue higher education and become a pillar of knowledge in society. But Saira’s woes about her husband’s lack of enthusiasm in trying something new in bed remain, until something almost magical happens, in the form of an erotica novel that becomes popular throughout the city. Siddharth is the real-life partner of Aditi Rao Hydari, which makes their chemistry in the film all the more palpable. He is best known for his appearances in Rang de Basanti, Chittha, and Jigarthanda. 

...