Karan Johar reveals he offered Lust Stories to Kriti Sanon, who rejected it: ‘Her mom didn’t allow her’

Koffee With Karan season 7 episode 8 released on Disney+ Hotstar on Thursday. Actors Kiara Advani and Shahid Kapoor were seen in the latest episode of the celebrity chat show hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar. While speaking to Kiara on the show, Karan said that he had a hard time finding someone to play Kiara’s part in Lust Stories, which released on Netflix in 2018. He revealed that he had offered the role to Kriti Sanon first, who rejected it. Read more: Kiara Advani reveals how she embarrassed ‘auntie’ Juhi Chawla at a party before acting debut

The anthology film consists of four short films, directed by Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee, each of whom put the spotlight on female sexuality in modern India using their own unique lens. Karan’s directorial on the Netflix film had Kiara Advani and Vicky Kaushal in the lead. Radhika Apte, Manisha Koirala and Bhumi Pednekar were also seen in Lust Stories.

Speaking about the film and how Kriti Sanon refused it, Karan said on the latest episode of Koffee With Karan,”I had offered it (Lust Stories) to Kriti Sanon… and she said that her mom didn’t allow her. I thought everybody’s mom would stand in line, not allowing their daughters. It’s actually a very empowering story. It’s about a woman’s right to pleasure.”

Karan Johar continued, “So, I met Kiara at (fashion designer) Manish Malhotra’s house, and I just saw her, I knew her of course, I knew her as Alia Advani (Kiara’s birth name) then… so I met her and I asked ‘can you come tomorrow and meet me, it’s for a short film’. She came and she heard it and then she was a little zoned out. She said ‘are you directing it?’ I said yes. Then she said ‘yeah! I’m doing it’.”

Kiara said she worked in Lust Stories only because of Karan. The actor added that it was a ‘brave’ film which garnered her a lot of attention. “I have to say that it was the film a lot of people noticed me in. But I have to say that when I signed the film, it was only to work with Karan Johar. Like I grew up and I wanted to work with him. But now in retrospect, when I look back, I realise, I don’t mean it was bold, but it what a brave topic to make a film on and to speak of. Because why shy away from women’s sexuality.”

Karan Johar’s short film in Love Stories revolved around Megha (Kiara Advani), a newlywed, who has to come to terms with the fact that her husband Paras (Vicky Kaushal) is a disappointment in bed. The story follows her as she seeks sexual satisfaction. Neha Dhupia was also seen in the Karan Johar-directorial.