Stree 2, a solid-sequel that marks the wave of a roller coaster “Maddock Supernatural Universe,” blending moments of quirky charm and uncontrollable laughter.
The return of Stree after five years, one of the most anticipated Hindi films of 2024, took the box office by storm. And this time the message for Stree is not ‘O stree kal aana’ (Stree, come tomorrow), but ‘O stree raksha karna’ (Stree, please protect us). It is followed by the theme of ‘sarkate ka aatank’ (terror of the headless man)’. Directed by Amar Kaushik and written by Niren Bhatt, the movie Stree 2 keeps the overall entertaining factor intact and delivers an enjoyable ride with the aid of the stupendous cast of Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Tripathi, and Aparshakti Khurana.
While the film fails to deliver the same level of grandeur as the first part, it still manages to keep everyone laughing with its hilarious comedy and great dance moves! Gratefully, the supporting cast is once again on point. Pankaj Tripathi, with his quirky humour as Rudra Bhaiyya, Aparshakti Khurana as Bittu, and Shraddha Kapoor as the mysterious and enchanting girl with no name, provide great support. Also, with some notable and meaningful cameos, the scenes become even more entertaining! However, it is Rajkummar Rao and Abhishek Banerjee who create chaos with their hilarious performances. Banerjee as ‘Jana’ is a real delight, and Rajkummar as ‘Bicky’ is the ‘rock’ of the film. Both of them once again nail it with their expressions, body language, and dialogues—pure gold! The chemistry between the four—Bicky, Bittu, Jana, and Rudra—is once again superb.
The story picks up exactly where the first one left off, with the spirit of the streets but this time as Chanderi’s savior. While “Stree” revolved around a female ghost who was wronged in her mortal life, the sequel focusses on a headless villain named Sarkata, who has ties to the eponymous character. He preys on modern, progressive women and imprisons them in a dungeon. This is preceded by the radicalisation of Chanderi’s men, who are reduced to slavery. They not only revere Sarkata but also resort to regressive traditions, locking women in their homes and following Sarkata’s mission to re-establish the patriarchal order that the first Stree challenged and destabilized. In one of the pivotal scenes of the movie, Sarkata destroys the statue of Stree, the guardian of Chanderi, to declare the beginning of his rule.
“Stree 2,” following ‘Sarkate ka Aatank’ and the abduction of the independent woman with a voice, or “azad khayalon vali aauratien,” hits harder against the backdrop of the rape and murder allegations in Kolkata and the Justice Hema Commission’s report on the exploitation of women in Malayalam cinema. It’s a satire closer to reality. When the medical community, along with others across the country, protested the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, the film featured a villain who represented patriarchy and crimes against women. Sarkata (a giant ghost with a detachable head) fought against Chanderi to avenge the death of his family and was beheaded by Stree, who was in turn murdered by a man who turned out to be Sarkata. He was a ruler who had enjoyed the tawaif’s mehfil with his wife and had beheaded the tawaif’s lover. Today, Sarkata kidnaps progressive women who dare to think differently from the rest of Chanderi.
In addition, the film carefully constructs the toxic masculinity and endemic desire of Chanderi men. For instance, the item number that appears at the beginning of the film serves to heighten its subtext of female autonomy. It also immerses the viewer in the myopic worldview of the city men, who view women through a narrow, reductive lens. Therefore, it can be observed that the male gaze has been harnessed not only as a tool of objectification but also as a crucial tool for questioning and deconstructing the patriarchal order in which it exists.
The seeds of satire are certainly present in Stree 2. When Pankaj Tripathi’s Rudra narrates a recap in the form of a folk song during the Pooja festival, he declares that Rajkummar Rao’s Vicky is the saviour of the city. The Stree statue stands tall in the heart of the city, but it is the male saviour who continues to be celebrated. Although Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) is hailed as the saviour destined to protect Chanderi from Sarkata, it is ultimately a woman, a Stree, who defies all odds and strikes at the very heart of patriarchy. All men, bound by the privileges of patriarchy, lack the will and desire to dismantle it. Their response is limited to locking women in their homes and doing whatever they can around them. Yet they ignore the inevitable: women in red will open the doors, take to the streets, and confront the monster both literally and figuratively. Finally, the beast had to fall.
Indeed, a film is a product and reflection of its time. But it has to have legs to travel through time. Stree 2 is a successful film, with a supernatural climax, a terrifying CGI villain, the return of the titular avenging angel, and a broader vision of the horror multiverse, including the appearance of the creature and setting the stage for the next villain, played by a superstar. But amid all these problems, Stree 2 somehow misses what the first film dared to be—a deep satire. Blame it on the high stakes or the exclusion of Raj and DK (the creators of OG Stree), but the sequel doesn’t exploit its satirical potential as sharply as it could have. It just rushed to connect the last details to pretend he had been focused on this all along. The sequel lacks a concrete plot and precision.
Overall, Stree 2 is a quirky, funny, and full ‘Paisa-vasool’ film, and if you’re planning to watch any movie and wish to have a proper theatre experience, then this film can be a perfect option for this weekend while offering a great story with a perfect blend of scares and laughter.
Read also: DUB Review: Breaking Barriers with Brilliance: ‘Laapata Ladies’
Featured Image Credits: Maddock Films/Jio Studios
Shivpriya Dixit