Like its previous franchises, Kama’s stories 3 Approaches as a brilliant concept of female desire, pleasure, and candid conversation about the still taboo subject of sex. The buzz surrounding this installment was minimal; Perhaps audiences are now familiar with its recurring theme, and all hope it resonates with the current climate.
The film stays true to its central plot – a woman’s all-time high desire in the world. This time, the most attractive element is undoubtedly the interesting mix of directors on board.
Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra, and Vishal Bharadwaj deliver a brilliant spread with an equally impressive cast. The onscreen couple that created the most excitement was also an offscreen couple – Siddharth and Aditi Rao Hydari. Maybe a little over hyped, but their chemistry still crackles on screen.
Like the earlier formats, these are four short films directed by acclaimed filmmakers. Each is presented with titles like “4 Days Ago”, “4 Months Ago”, and “4 Decades Ago”, and each showcases the director’s unique storytelling style – essential in a genre that demands sensitivity.
Motwane’s story stars Konkana Sen Sharma opposite Abhishek Banerjee and Radhika Apte opposite Vijay Varma. The premise revolves around two married couples where the women feel sexually and emotionally unfulfilled. A birthday trip to Khandala leads to an unusual plan: the women join the game of seduction, though not with their husbands. Konkana Sen Sharma is as effortless as ever, while Radhika Apte shines with her comic timing. Verma and Banerjee are convincing as the unknown spouses, but the women really steal the show.
Kiran Rao’s story, starring Gurfateh Peerzada and Sana Thampi, provides arguably the most interesting twist. Set against the whimsical backdrop of Mumbai, unexpected attractions and exciting options spill over into the chaos. Peerzada plays a dual role as a drug dealer, immediately raising the stakes. Thampi is sensual and determined, navigating the fine line between sexual agency and harsh reality. In Pirzada’s dual characters, she finds her leverage, and as sexuality peaks, it is the woman who ultimately dictates the narrative.
Shakun Batra’s film, with Radhika Madan and Ali Fazal, feels poised for its nuanced understanding of intimacy. His stories often follow a lyrical rhythm, free of gender boundaries, and here he explores emotional ambiguity and insecurity. Varun and Sally marry just three months later, but within two years they separate on bitter terms. Love remains, yet communication breaks down. Lust becomes their peacemaker – sex calms the chaos, as Sally admits in therapy. Their therapist poses the piercing question, “Is lust a pain reliever or a cure?”
Ali Fazal and Radhika Madan are excellent as their troubled and complicated natures, and overall the pair remain intact with their passion and angst. Their emotional scenes make you feel something, like the rage of their anger, and in more ways than one it feels like we’ve all been through a similar phase. Longing becomes a blanket of emotional security here and Shakun Batra does a mature job of weaving it all together.
As they say, saving the best for last, Vishal Bharadwaj makes a grand entrance with his poetic rendition of Kaam with Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth in the lead. Aditi Rao Hydari is a sight to behold, and Siddharth is quite the range as the nerdy yet sexy doctor. The actor is really playing it up this year with a diverse filmography. Vishal Bhardwaj spins this story of lust by connecting desire with imagination and identity.
This is a typical Vishal Bharadwaj production, every frame is lyrical and dreamy. Aditi Rao Hydari shines with her playful mischief and the hidden desires in her fantasy are safe and sound. Her intimate scenes with Siddharth are the result of their blossoming love story off celluloid, and it shows. Romance comes easily for these two on screen and Vishal Behardwaj paints an alluring landscape. And like the other three, Aditi Rao Hydari as Saira drives the story here. It’s all about the unknown inner world of a woman’s desires and the only place they find fulfillment is between the pages of literary books.
While Saira avoids talking about it openly, in gestures and twists, she reveals it to herself. the husband – Badru, but he needs a lesson or two on the art of intimacy. All this until a twist occurs and Saira and Badru realize that they are more than enough for each other, more than they have felt in a long time.
Siddharth brings a certain style and charm to his character. It’s fresh and unexpected that we’ve seen him do which makes it a fun watch. Aditi Rao Hydari has a funny streak, and it’s during the panicked outbursts that it shines the most and elicits a laugh or two. But as I always say, a Vishal Bharadwaj production is not for all taste buds, though the pairing of Siddharth and Aditi Rao Hydari is a huge crowd puller, it takes its time to connect with its audience but the message of ‘Vasna’ is loud and clear.
Kama’s stories 3 Makes for the perfect weekend guilty-pleasure. It is not complicated, it passes. Some of the stories feel very basic, while others are interesting in how it weaves the female gaze and sexual needs into the web of life’s frustrations with marriages and relationships. It’s a good mix to say the least, and while you come for the passion, you stay for the actions.
Also read this | Kama’s stories 3: Siddharth reveals how a 5 am dream became a haunting scene in the Netflix series