Stree 2 Adds to the memorable Dinesh Vijan Horror Comedy Universe and is crazier and scarier vis-à-vis the original.

Star Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Akshay Kumar, Varun Dhawan

Director: Amar Kaushik

What’s Good: The film follows the Stree canon faithfully

What’s Bad: Too many cameos instead of elevating the chills and chortles

Loo Break: You may miss a spooky or spoofy moment

Watch or Not?: Yup, watch it!

Language: Hindi

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 149 Minutes

In Chanderi village, Stree, who terrorized the men once, is now revered. Instead of the Stree, kal aana (come tomorrow) refrain on walls, the new slogan is ‘Stree, protect us’. But now, there is another spirit that has begun to hover around. This one is named Sarkata (headless) as it has the ability to take out its head and wander around, abducting girls who are ‘modern’ or ‘liberated’ in any manner. As with all movie malevolent spirits, there is a back-story, and that is connected with Stree.

On coming to know of this, Vicky (Rajkummar Rao), who had loved the girl he thought was Stree (Shraddha Kapoor) who had actually vanquished the real Stree from the village, wants his ‘girlfriend’ back so that the new ‘villain’ can be eliminated and he can again be the village savior. But the bottom-line is that he, by profession a tailor, would also like this tailor-made (!) companion in his life, though she reciprocates only to a point as she cannot live a normal life.

Vicky, with the help of his dippy friends, Janaa (Abhishek Banerjee), Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana) and town librarian Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi), who has received a strange communication in a warning letter, decides to free the village from the ghoul. The additional incentive is that Bittu’s girlfriend (Anya Singh) has also been taken away. Rudra summons his dancer flame, Shama (Tamannaah Bhatia) to perform in the town and thus attract the lecherous Sarkata as bait, but his aatank (terror) is not to be diluted—he abducts her too!

Vicky’s girl can only contain Sarkata up to a point, and so they need additional help from the Bhediya a.k.a. Bhaskar to finally remove the evil spirit in the manner directed in the book, Chanderi Puran, the chronicle of the small town, and as per the letter that is sent by a mysterious lunatic who thinks he is Emperor Shah Jehan!

Stree 2 Movie Review: Script Analysis

Raj & DK had given us the original Stree, based on a folk legend from Karnataka. Niren Bhatt develops the idea further, to also take forward the Maddock Films horror comedy franchise. He is very faithful to the prequel’s mood and mode of narration, and often makes it funnier and loopier though he intensifies the horror element more. The gender equality angles are also commented upon subtly. But more importantly, logic being even less important in today’s times, we get the angle of a (literal) lunatic sending the warning letter. In a different garb, this personality also manifests in the post-climax, suggesting a new cinematic member for this franchise.

Incidentally, any successor to the Stree franchise itself would now need a solid plot to happen, as in the way this film has been narrated, a third spirit haunting the village would now seem too forced.

The best thing in all this illogic (and some incidental similarities to Shaitaan as well as Kakuda) is that we get no-holds-barred entertainment, even if it means adding to the length of the film at many points. But that also takes away from the pith.

Stree 2 Movie Review: Star Performance

Shraddha Kapoor, as Vicky’s objet d’amor, has limited scope and has to rely on her eyes for all the emotions she has to display, and she does it very well. But it is the madcap, utterly whacky quartet of Vicky, Jana, Bittu and Rudra that is let loose on us and go wild with unabashed enjoyment. Topping the list, nuances-wise, are the formidable Pankaj Tripathi—his expressions, vocal modulation and gestures are to die for—and Abhishek Banerjee, who often steals the show.

Rajkummar Rao is far more effective than he has been in his recent vehicles—creditable because he does not have that meaty a role to dig his talent into. Aparshati Khurana is just okay, while Sunita Rajwar reprises a nuttier version of her character in the web series, Gullak (which seemed in turn to be a sedate reprise of her role in the original Stree!) with spirited gusto. From the cameos, Akshay Kumar, Tamannaah Bhatia and Varun Dhawan do what is needed.

Stree 2 Movie Review: Direction, Music

I expected Amar Kaushik to better his previous acts (Stree, Bala, Bhediya), so does he do it? Well, the answer is ‘Yes’, as well as ‘No’. He succeeds in thoroughly engrossing his audience (admittedly a primary requisite, especially in these flop-infested days), but I wish he had kept his focus on making this sequel also better besides being obviously bigger in concept, execution and scale. The similarities between the CGI Munjya and Sarkata could have been tempered a but as this film was set to come soon after the first.

Sachin-Jigar’s music is strong. “Aaj ki raat” is the best of the lot—a dance number that is the best amalgam of the old-world calibre and new modalities. “Aayi nai” and “Tumhare hi rahenge hum” are excellently conceived, composed and written. “Khoobsurat”, the fourth song, is decent.

Justin Verghese’s background score is effective too.

Stree 2 Movie Review: The Last Word

Here’s wishing that the makers had put less tropes and more substance to chortle and shiver about rather than star cameos, post-climax, a post-post climax and so on, besides a stretched second half. But the film does not disappoint as a sequel, or as a member of the horror-comedy fraternity, and thus for value-for-money entertainment.

Three and a half stars!