Filming intimacy on screen has always required trust between actors and filmmakers, but Vishal Bhardwaj believes one relatively new role has made that process far less uncomfortable. While discussing his segment in Lust Stories 3, the filmmaker reflected on how intimacy directors have changed conversations that were once left entirely to actors and directors. For Bhardwaj, the difference is not simply about choreography; it is about removing uncertainty from a situation where performers can otherwise feel exposed. His latest experience became even more unusual because the two actors at the centre of his story, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth, are also married in real life.
The Netflix anthology arrived on September 18, 2026, with Bhardwaj joining Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao and Shakun Batra as its four directors. Netflix describes the new instalment as four separate stories examining love, desire, relationships and complicated human connections. The ensemble also includes Konkona Sensharma, Radhika Apte, Radhika Madan, Vijay Varma, Ali Fazal, Abhishek Banerjee and Gurfateh Pirzada.
Why intimacy directors changed the conversation
Bhardwaj described working with an intimacy director as “incredible,” particularly because the role gives performers a dedicated person with whom they can discuss physical boundaries and the practical details of a scene. “It liberates you. It makes things so comfortable to shoot,” he told Variety India while explaining the difference the position has made on set. Instead of leaving an actor to negotiate every detail directly with a filmmaker or co-star, those conversations can now be structured before cameras begin rolling. That may sound like a small production change, but Bhardwaj’s memories of earlier shoots show why it matters.
He recalled an actress having to approach him personally with a very specific question: “Sir, are we going to use tongue in this? Can you ask the male actor?” Bhardwaj then had to relay the question himself, creating exactly the type of uncomfortable exchange that a properly coordinated intimacy scene is designed to avoid. His point was less about the individual incident and more about how filmmaking practices have evolved. Clear choreography and discussions about consent before a take can allow actors to focus more on performance rather than negotiating uncertain physical boundaries in the middle of production.
That shift feels especially relevant to a franchise such as Lust Stories. Netflix has built the anthology around stories dealing directly with desire, marriage, vulnerability and relationships, meaning physical intimacy can be closely connected to the emotional storytelling rather than functioning as a separate element. Netflix itself describes the third instalment as continuing the franchise’s examination of how intimacy intersects with power, vulnerability, agency and compromise.
Aditi and Siddharth brought a different dynamic
Bhardwaj’s Lust Stories 3 segment came with another layer he had not dealt with before: directing a married couple through an intimate fictional relationship. Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth married in September 2024 in an intimate South Indian ceremony at a historic temple in Wanaparthy, Telangana. Their existing comfort with one another naturally removed part of the hesitation that might exist between two performers who had never shared that kind of scene before.
“They were very comfortable with each other, of course, because they are husband and wife. So 50% of that awkwardness went away,” Bhardwaj said. Yet familiarity did not mean the production abandoned normal filmmaking precautions. Body doubles had been arranged for both actors, giving the production another option for shots where either performer might prefer not to appear themselves. What happened next, however, became one of Bhardwaj’s more amusing memories from the shoot.
In one sequence, the camera was focused on Aditi’s legs while Siddharth was required to crawl into the frame. After seeing footage involving her double, Aditi reacted immediately: “But my legs are not so fat.” She ultimately chose to do the shot herself, and Siddharth also performed his portion rather than leaving it to the doubles. The moment illustrates something slightly different from their comfort as a real-life couple: both actors were still making individual professional choices about what they wanted to perform on camera.
Their marriage stayed outside the performance
What fascinated Bhardwaj most was not simply that Aditi and Siddharth were comfortable around one another. It was how quickly that familiarity disappeared once they began performing as characters. “In terms of performance, they were behaving like they left their relationships at home,” he said. For a director watching a real couple play fictional people navigating intimacy, that separation offered a very different creative experience.
It also fits neatly into what Lust Stories 3 is trying to do as an anthology. Netflix says the four filmmakers approach relationships through distinct worlds while examining emotional entanglements, unexpected choices and different expressions of desire. Bhardwaj’s story therefore has an interesting contrast built into its production: two people with a genuine relationship are being asked to temporarily ignore that history and construct an entirely different one for the camera.
The larger takeaway from Bhardwaj’s comments, however, goes beyond one Netflix production. Intimate scenes still require actors to communicate about highly specific boundaries, but the filmmaker’s experience shows how the process is becoming more organised rather than relying on uncomfortable conversations after performers arrive on set. In his telling, an intimacy director does not make the scene less creative or spontaneous. Instead, the preparation creates enough clarity for actors and directors to concentrate on the scene they are actually trying to make.
Q&A
Why does Vishal Bhardwaj support intimacy directors?
Bhardwaj says intimacy directors make intimate scenes significantly more comfortable to film by helping actors and filmmakers establish boundaries and practical details before shooting.
Which film did Vishal Bhardwaj direct Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth in?
He directed the real-life couple in one of the four segments of Netflix’s Lust Stories 3.
Are Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth married in real life?
Yes. They married in September 2024 in a traditional ceremony in Wanaparthy, Telangana.
Did Aditi Rao Hydari use a body double in Lust Stories 3?
Bhardwaj said doubles were prepared for the actors, but Aditi chose to perform one particular shot herself after seeing how the double looked on camera.
Who are the directors of Lust Stories 3?
The anthology features segments from Vishal Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao and Shakun Batra.
When did Lust Stories 3 release on Netflix?
Netflix released the anthology on September 18, 2026.
