During a challenging time for Bollywood, with few films managing to achieve box office success, director Amar Kaushik delivered Stree 2, a sequel to his 2018 horror-comedy Stree. Starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, who returned to their roles from the original, the film generated significant anticipation. Despite doubts within the industry about whether it could break the streak of flops, Stree 2 surpassed expectations, becoming a blockbuster and earning over Rs 856 crore worldwide, as reported by Sacnilk. However, the film’s success led to a contentious PR battle over credit, with some attributing the triumph to Shraddha, while others credited Rajkummar. Notably, director Amar Kaushik and writer Niren Bhatt were left out of the discussion.
Shraddha Kapoor recently addressed the ongoing debate about “who’s responsible for the success of Stree 2.” Speaking during an Indian Express event, she reflected on the film’s journey. Shraddha recalled that when Stree was released in 2018, everyone involved was at different points in their careers, and Maddock Films was still finding its footing. “When I heard the first part, I felt I hadn’t come across a script like that before. It was based on an urban legend and I literally fell off the sofa while listening to it. I was so glad that they came to me. It was pure entertainment — I laughed at the dialogues and the scenes, and I loved playing this mysterious girl who comes and goes.”
She continued, “The kind of love and accolades the first part received were immense. It all started there. Hats off to the director, writer and producer for cracking a sequel. It’s important not to make a sequel just for the sake of it — you need substance to bring people to theatres and earn genuine appreciation. They stayed true to how a sequel should be made and cracked the story of Stree 2. It had all the entertainment factors, brilliant actors and really entertaining dialogues. I believe it was a fabulous team effort. It was pure cinematic joy,” she shared, adding, “And ultimately, the audience decides, right? They leave their homes seeking entertainment and we’re happy we could deliver.”
When the topic of future sequels came up, Shraddha revealed that Amar Kaushik already has a storyline for Stree 3. “When Amar sir told me he had a story for Stree 3, I got very excited because I know it’s going to be something amazing. I can’t wait to hear what it’s about.” Discussing the significance of Stree 2’s success in a predominantly male industry, Shraddha said, “The answer is simple—a good film always works.” She highlighted that quality has become the key factor for a film’s success. “That should motivate all of us to pull our socks up, not take anything for granted and make some really good films, staying true to the craft.”
Reflecting on her action scenes in Stree 2, particularly the one where her character battles a demon while the male characters hide, Shraddha mentioned how much she enjoyed filming it. “A girl coming with her choti (braid) and fighting… just imagine the imagination of the writers! It’s fabulous to give a woman her strength in her choti. Those were some of my favourite bits in the movie. Also, the fact that it makes sense! Afterwards, I would walk around at my house with my choti, asking everyone to be cautious because I had my choti with me.”
Stree 2 is still running in theatres. Made under the banner of Maddock Films, the movie features the star-studded ensemble of Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana. It also features cameos by Akshay Kumar, Varun Dhawan and Tamannaah Bhatia.
The film’s story picks up from the events of its predecessor, showing the town of Chanderi terrorised by a new entity called Sarkata. Vicky and his friends will reunite to fight off the mysterious character with help from Stree and Bhediya.
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