Filmmaker Kiran Rao has shared her perspective on how the younger generation approaches romantic relationships, saying today’s youth enjoy greater freedom and are more uninhibited in expressing themselves compared to previous generations.
Speaking during the promotions of Lust Stories 3, the Laapataa Ladies director said she would describe young people as “free” rather than “frivolous” when it comes to love and relationships.
Rao observed that societal expectations surrounding romantic relationships have changed significantly, allowing young people to explore emotional and physical connections without necessarily being bound by traditional conventions.
“I feel there is a sense of freedom. There is a sense of being uninhibited in the young generation as compared to, say, my generation. I mean, the world is a different place, and the ways of expressing yourself are very different, and so we wanted to explore that,” she said.
Explaining the idea behind her story in the anthology, Rao said it explores the relationship between two young, unattached individuals who are attracted to each other and the unexpected consequences of the choices they make.
She noted that, in her generation, relationships were often shaped by traditional expectations, with physical and emotional intimacy generally associated with marriage, including arranged marriages.
However, she pointed out that people today can have deep, intense and emotionally and physically fulfilling relationships without getting married first.
Rao said the story was created to reflect this changing social landscape and capture the freshness and freedom that define the younger generation’s approach to love.
The filmmaker added that exploring how young people navigate attraction, intimacy and the consequences of their decisions offered an interesting perspective for the story.