Vijay Varma says Lust Stories 3 was huge relief after Matka King: Wanted to have fun
Vijay Varma said Lust Stories 3 arrived as a welcome break after eight months on Matka King. He said the lighter script and cast made it an easy yes while his personal growth continues to shape his work.
Actor Vijay Varma reveals why Lust Stories 3 arrived at just the right time for him. After spending months immersed in the intense world of Matka King, Vijay said the Netflix anthology felt like a welcome change of pace.
Speaking to India Today about whether working on stories centred around desire and intimacy had changed the way he looked at those ideas personally, Vijay said, “No, I’m serving a story. I served another story in Season 2 as well. My personal evolution is constantly going on, and I keep deep-diving into finding more about myself. I feel the more I know about myself and the surroundings I’m in, the better I’m able to soak in from the material that I’m reading.”
For Vijay, that process of self-discovery is closely tied to what he can bring to his performances. “My job as an actor is to keep offering something new, to keep finding something new. And I can only offer something new when I find something new within myself. I’m seeing sides of my mother and sister that I didn’t see before. I’m able to connect with my nieces and nephews in ways I couldn’t earlier,” he shared.
He added, “I feel the more fully and deeply I live my life, the more I’m able to resonate with the stories that I’m reading.”
That made Lust Stories 3 particularly refreshing for the actor. “For me, Lust Stories 3 was a huge relief of sorts because I had been shooting for Matka King for around eight months. I was completely in it, and it was weighing down on me because it was one character, one setup, and so much rested on that one character,” Vijay recalled.
His response to the Lust Stories 3 script, however, was immediate. “Then this came to me and, when I read it, I had three or four laugh-out-loud moments.”
Knowing that Vikramaditya Motwane was directing the segment and that Konkona Sen Sharma and Radhika Apte were part of it only made the decision easier. Vijay revealed that he even called Radhika personally to make sure she was actually doing the film.
“I knew the names attached to it — Vikram sir was directing, and I knew Radhika was acting in it. I immediately called her just to make sure she was actually doing it. She said, ‘Yes, I’m doing it.’ That was it. For me, it was a no-brainer. I had five or six days of work, and I thought, I’m just going to go there, have fun, and watch these two lovely actresses — two of my favourite actresses — play ball in front of me. It was like watching them from the front seat. That’s the best experience. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Lust Stories 3 brings together four stories directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, Shakun Batra and Vishal Bhardwaj. The Netflix anthology features Vijay alongside Radhika Apte, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Radhika Madan, Siddharth, Ali Fazal, Abhishek Banerjee and others, and premieres on September 18.