- Date of Release: 15 August 2024
- Genre: Comedy, Horror
- Watch On: Theatres Only
- Language: Hindi
Stree 2
Introduction
The Maddock Supernatural Universe is alive and kicking! It was in 2018 when a seemingly unassuming film titled Stree caught the imagination of the viewers that not only reignited the horror-comedy genre but also marked the first film of the then newly established universe. The turn of events in the film were such that Chanderi was witness to men disappearing from the village even as women enjoyed the freedom, all in the wake of a supernatural element in the form of a ‘Stree’. But such was the writing that it incorporated dollops of humour that not only established a layer of social commentary, but also allowed the viewers to laugh at the antics of the characters. Since the events of the first film, the Maddock Supernatural Universe has seen its share of lows with the seemingly abandoned film titled Roohi to achieving moderate success with the brilliant Bhediya, to finally achieving unprecedented success with a film like Munjya. But such is the gradual shift of the genre within the universe that began as a folklore only to venture into the supernatural and with their latest offering Stree 2, into the superhero space within confined limits. So while Stree 1 was a folklore laid out as a horror-comedy in the purest sense, Stree 2 has a touch of supernatural in the folklore space but eventually transitions in the superhero space. Whether or whether not this gradual shift of tone stands the test of time, would be a recurring question with every film belonging to this universe going forward. But it seems like there is no turning back with this one, even as the Hindi film Stree 2 has opened to huge numbers amidst some solid anticipation. So then does Stree 2 manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
A direct sequel to the first Stree, Stree 2 follows the story of the town of Chanderi being terrorized again, this time by a headless spirit by the name of Sarkata resulting in the disappearance of women from the neighbourhood. The onus is once again on the trio of Vicky, Bittu and Jana along with Rudra, who need to save the day by putting an end to this curse. Are they successful? The story here enfolding at the OG headquarters of the universe felt like Civil War wherein all Avengers(of the universe so far) join forces to counter the ‘Thanos’ of Chanderi, ‘Sarkata’. And while the writing here may not be as sharp as Stree 1 that still remains the pinnacle of this budding universe, the writers do create moments that are funny and hilarious while performing the balancing act perfectly with right doses of horror. At this point, it might be futile to expect a horror which is more atmospheric much on the lines of Stree that also had a psychological impact on the viewer. And so what you are served is a typical template of horror featuring jumpscares along the way. The good news though is that the jumpscares are well incorporated, and they definitely manage to impress. The comedy here is much in the familiar territory with respect to the first film, and it did help that Amar Kaushik who was at the helm of things is back this time around too. As a result, the screenplay standing at almost 150 minutes is engaging and entertaining while scoring almost equally in both comedy and horror.
The drama is quick to put things to perspective even as the town of Chanderi, fresh off the eradication of the curse of Stree, finds another nemesis to deal with. The twist in the tale being that ‘Sarkata’, the new name of terror in the town of Chanderi is only after women, who continue to disappear more frequently than ever. Almost immediately, you are reintroduced to the protagonist and his gang who have their playful yet innocent antics in place with the protagonist Vicky(pleej) still being madly in love with the character of Shraddha Kapoor(unnamed in the film). The twist in the tale occurs when Bittu’s supposed lady-love is captured by Sarkata, thereby triggering a chain of events that continue to terrorize the town while initiating the counterattack in the form of Stree who joins forces with Vicky and a couple of surprise guests in what was a perfect staging of Chanderi – Civil War!
First things first, you remember the seemingly unconnected post credit scene from Bhediya? That is perfectly tied up here while the viewers already have a context of things setup in the first act. But with the introduction of Jana, the comedy which was partially silly and flat in the opening act, suddenly finds its voice and its rhythm, even as the horror jumpscares continue to haunt the viewers along the way. This includes a hilarious sequence wherein the gang look to recall Stree from her hibernation, even while putting Jana in danger, only for him to be caught, partly possessed and rescued by the gang. The hilarious events don’t end there – there is a chase on with just the head of the Sarkata following the gang who are on their motorcycles, only for two of them to be so frightened, so as to leave their bike and hop onto the other one, already having two other folks on it. That sequence, leading up to the interval block definitely sets things rather well for the second hour.
The issue though begins in the second hour but not to the point of the film being derailed. The humour seems slightly forced with effort showing in a few sequences. But a surprise cameo that literally came out of nowhere does help the screenplay to find momentum, even while it tries to lace the concept of equality and feminism as an underlying layer to the drama(remember how it was defeating patriarchy in Stree 1). Yet, I couldn’t help but notice the tonal shift of the universe here(and it might be a huge turning point either way) wherein the horror-comedy genre soon was transforming into a superhero universe, slowly but surely. So even though the innocence of the protagonist and his gang was in full display early on, there was a gradual shift in the third act that bordered on the supernatural energies, even as all hell broke loose in this ‘Civil War’. The ending was satisfactory, and so were the end credit scenes(3 if you also count the song at the end), thereby summing up the screenplay that was well balanced in terms of horror and comedy despite not being as sharp as Stree 1.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are pretty good while retaining much of the humourous traits from the first part while lacing them with a few pop references along the way. Lines like ‘Ab Tum Asli Ke Rajkummar Lag Rahe Ho’ just hits home and almost coaxes the viewers to break into a smile every single time. The music is good and well integrated with the events of the film here. Even the BGM is pulsating and elevates the much needed intensity of the drama at regular places in the screenplay. The cinematography comprises of frames that hit home with the jumpscares while briefly also contributing to the ambience of the drama. The area of improvement in the technical department lies with the VFX that aren’t great by any standards, and significantly lower the impact of the drama in the final act. The editing is good and manages to maintain the flow of the drama. Director Amar Kaushik shines yet again in a genre that he is slowly making it his own. He does extremely well to balance the two key elements of the drama – horror and comedy, even though this may not be his best work by any stretch of imagination. He also does well in retaining the character traits of crucial characters here that invariably contributes to the humour of the film, even while presenting some flair while showcasing horror onscreen. While maintaining a firm grip in the drama, the direction is pretty solid here.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here by the ensemble cast. There are a couple of solid cameos with one of them completely unexpected. In the interest of keeping them under wraps, I won’t be mentioning their names here but both manage to impress here. Anya Singh has a good screen presence and she definitely manages to shine, despite a limited screentime. Tamannah Bhatia as Shama looks pretty and does a fair job(no puns intended). Shraddha Kapoor as the unnamed witch is sincere and earnest while definitely being well restrained throughout the narrative. Aparshakti Khurana as Bittu definitely manages to tickle your funny bone while being dependable all along. Pankaj Tripathi as his ability to evoke laughter through stoic expressions and pitch perfect dialogue delivery, is a story in itself. As Rudra, he has an uncanny knack of extracting humour from nowhere, and he definitely contributes to the laughs of the film. Abhishek Banerjee is also another actor blessed with an impeccable comic timing, which makes me wonder on why he is hell bent on playing the bad guy more often than not(more on Vedaa later in the dayđ). Here as Jana, he is just so brilliant and almost infuses life into the drama immediately upon his arrival at the end of the first act. He is terrific here. Rajkummar Rao as Vicky(pleej) has his body language and expressions game on point wherein he contributes to the laughs and chills of the film. His ability to shift gears with a touch of sensitivity and sincerity is quite a sight to witness, and it speaks volumes of his craft that he possesses. He is brilliant as ever here.
Conclusion
Despite not being anywhere close to Stree, a comparison that is fair but virtually impossible to achieve, Stree 2 is still a hilariously creepy horror-comedy that does boast of good performances. For the better or for the worse, the Maddock Supernatural Universe is slightly tilting towards the superhero genre too and only time will tell if it works in favour of the universe or not. But for the timebeing, Stree 2 holds fort and makes for a pretty solid watch. Watch out for a couple of cameos(one totally unexpected), along with a couple of post-credit scenes that would take the franchise forward. Available in a theatre near you.
