Filmmaker Kiran Rao has opened up about the changing ways in which younger people approach love, relationships and marriage, saying that today’s generation has greater freedom to express themselves than people of her generation did.
Rao discussed the subject while promoting Lust Stories 3, the latest instalment in the anthology exploring contemporary relationships and intimacy. Speaking about the story she directed, she reflected on how social expectations around relationships have evolved and why those changes became relevant to the film.
As quoted by Aaj Tak, Rao said that relationships were once expected to fit within more defined boundaries.
“Earlier, people were expected to be in a certain kind of relationship, but that is not the case today. I feel there is freedom in relationships now. If you compare today’s generation with my generation, I think today’s young people have more freedom to be outspoken and live without hesitation,” she said.
Rao added that changing ways of expressing oneself were among the aspects she wanted to explore through the film.
Kiran Rao explains the relationship at the centre of her Lust Stories 3 segment
While discussing Lust Stories 3, Rao described a story involving two young people who are attracted to each other but are not necessarily constrained by traditional expectations.
“Two young people who are not bound by any restrictions and are attracted to each other. So, what will their next steps be?” Rao said.
According to the filmmaker, the consequences that follow their decisions form an important part of the story.
Rather than presenting relationships through the expectations of an earlier generation, Rao said the film was made with an understanding of a social environment in which young adults may approach emotional and romantic relationships differently.
That perspective forms part of the larger premise of the Lust Stories franchise, which has used individual stories to examine different aspects of intimacy, desire and contemporary relationships.
Rao reflects on relationship expectations from her generation
Rao also compared the social expectations she experienced while growing up with those faced by younger people today.
She said that, during her generation, serious emotional and physical relationships were traditionally associated more closely with marriage and established social boundaries.
“When they make certain decisions, and then suddenly things happen after that, I think there is a different kind of fun in it, because in my time, the expectation was that you would have a relationship with a person only within a certain boundary,” she said.
Rao continued by explaining that expectations around physical and emotional intimacy were traditionally linked to marriage.
“But today, that is absolutely not the case,” she added.
Her comments reflect the social context that she says informed the story rather than suggesting that every young person approaches relationships in the same way.
Kiran Rao says serious relationships can exist without marriage
Rao further discussed the changing relationship between marriage and long-term emotional commitment.
“Today, people can have a very deep, genuine relationship with each other even without getting married,” she said.
She argued that contemporary relationships can involve both emotional and physical intimacy without necessarily following the traditional sequence of courtship followed by marriage.
“The world today is different from what it was before. We made our story keeping this new world in mind. We wanted to tell a story that could properly present the newness and freedom of today’s younger generation,” Rao said.
The comments help explain the social perspective behind her contribution to Lust Stories 3, where relationship choices and their consequences form part of the narrative.
What Kiran Rao’s comments mean for Lust Stories 3
Rao’s remarks suggest that her segment is interested less in presenting a conventional romantic formula and more in examining what happens when two people make choices within a less restrictive social environment.
That does not necessarily mean that contemporary relationships are free of complications. In fact, Rao’s description of the story points towards the consequences of those choices as an important dramatic element.
The contrast between individual freedom and the emotional consequences of that freedom can therefore become a central part of the story.
Kiran Rao’s filmmaking journey after Laapataa Ladies
Rao’s comments also arrive after the success and critical reception of her previous feature as a director, Laapataa Ladies.
Released in theatres on March 1, 2024, the comedy-drama followed two newly married women whose lives take an unexpected turn after a train journey. The film was produced by Aamir Khan Productions, with Rao directing.
Rao and Aamir Khan announced their separation in 2021 after 15 years of marriage. They have continued to maintain professional and personal ties, including their involvement in projects associated with their production work.
With Lust Stories 3, Rao is returning to a different storytelling space, using an anthology format to examine contemporary relationships.
Her latest comments indicate that questions around changing social expectations are central to the story she wanted to tell—and that she sees the difference between generations as an important part of understanding modern relationships.
