The minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is prominent among the environmentally friendly machining techniques. Localised cooling and lubrication at multiple locations in the cutting zone is the latest development to improve efficacy and further trim down the consumption of metalworking fluid. The paper consolidates the strategies to use the MQL cutting fluids at the specific locations, vis-à-vis rake face, flank face and back of the chip. A critical analysis is made on cutting fluids, cooling strategies, process parameters, and their effect on quality. The latest developments and future directions in the framework of the hybrid lubrication method, hybrid cutting fluid and numerical modelling are presented.