Head-y cocktail of horror, comedy, feminism, and quasi-mythology – Beyond Bollywood

The Niren Bhatt-penned, Amar Kaushik-directed film would score high on a laughter meter but appears weak when viewed through a cinematic lens.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

In 2018, Raj & DK conceived and wrote the screenplay for a feminist horror comedy, bringing in rookie director Amar Kaushik with dialogues by Sumit Arora. The film, Stree, became a huge success, standing out for its blend of horror and comedy, along with strong performances from its underrated yet capable cast.

Six years later, the makers return with a sequel, Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank (2024). Raj & DK are no longer involved, nor is Sumit Arora. The sequel is the brainchild of writer Niren Bhatt, who has lately collaborated with Maddock on a few films. However, Kaushik remains the director. The small town of Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh, once haunted by Stree, now worships the reformed ghost.

Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank! The title says it all. According to the scattered pages of the Chanderi Puran, which only Rudra Bhaiyya (Pankaj Tripathi) bothers to read, this unnamed Sarkata is the reason behind Stree’s tragic backstory. One night, Stree, now a guardian angel, suddenly vanishes from Chanderi, leading to Sarkata’s return from hell and the spread of his reign of terror.

A new antagonist brings a gender reversal to the haunting. Sarkata (headless), a cruel patriarch in his time, saw women as mere objects of pleasure and confined them to household chores. In 2024, Sarkata targets progressive women—so far, all the women who have gone missing in Chanderi were ambitious. Surprisingly, both Stree and now Sarkata only kidnap their victims, locking them away in a secret dungeon. Well, one can’t show deaths in Indian horror comedies.

Disguised as a horror-comedy, the Stree franchise subtly condemns patriarchy in all its forms. Director Kaushik wasn’t afraid to make subtle political jabs in the first film. Stree 2 largely focuses on the battle of good vs. evil spirits. Stree 2 is a head-y cocktail of horror, comedy, feminism and quasi-mythology.

The quasi-mythology draws from the Stree vs. Sarkata history, symbolizing the battle between Hindu goddesses and asuras.

Niren Bhatt and director Amar Kaushik had a solid plot but struggled to deliver a taut screenplay. The first 30-40 minutes had humour but the screenplay felt hollow. Thankfully, Stree 2 gains momentum after the interval, ensuring better engagement. The thrilling climax offers chills and humour, largely driven by Vicky’s (Rajkummar Rao) antics. The dark setting and brilliant visual effects create the right atmosphere for an epic, spooky battle.

Stree (2018) was Rajkummar’s biggest career hit, opening doors to lucrative opportunities. There’s no doubting his talent, but Rao has struggled since Stree. This Vicky character has a tone and mannerisms similar to Pritam Vidrohi from Bareilly Ki Barfi (2018). In fact, we’ve seen similar traits in most comedies featuring Rao. Honestly, there is a sense of monotony, and Vicky can become irritating. However, one shouldn’t overlook why this character behaves as he does. Unlike the past, where it was mandatory for the hero to have a certain physique, baritone, and flaunt his machismo, Stree requires an unassuming hero. Vicky, a simpleton, is all heart. He can get carried away in conversation with the returning lady (Shraddha Kapoor). Showing fear when facing the devil, running around helter-skelter, only makes him more human. So, Rao performs as his character demands.

Casting director Abhishek Banerjee had burst onto the scene as an actor in Stree (2018).  He hasn’t looked back since, delivering one stellar performance after another.  On a day when he has two releases, who can say that the casteist criminal Jitendar Pratap Singh of Vedaa (2024) is played by the same man who charms and amuses as the innocent, dim wit but lovable Jana of Stree. There is rustiness to other actors, but Banerjee just continues from here he left in Stree. Mind you, it helps that he played the same character in Bhediya (2022) which is part of Maddock Supernatural horror universe.

As an actor, Stree (2018) was a rare standout film for Shraddha Kapoor. A huge hit on social media, Kapoor looked particularly good in her small-town girl avatar, and we say this without objectifying her. Like Rajkummar Rao, Kapoor has struggled with consistency. The release of Stree 2 comes at an opportune time, and her fairly competent performance bodes well for her future. Although still unnamed in the franchise, Kapoor would not complain, as her character now possesses a few superpowers.

Aparshakti Khurana was likable in Stree (2018), but his character Bittu becomes overbearing in the sequel. The first half-hour tests your patience, largely due to Bittu’s exaggerated emotional outpouring over the disappearance of his girlfriend Chitti. Niren Bhatt and Kaushik rely on puns for humour, but there seems to be a slight overdose. Similarly, Pankaj Tripathi fails to recreate the magic of Rudra Bhaiyya. The versatile actor, however, would be pleased to be romantically linked to the gorgeous Tamannaah Bhatia in a film. We remain uncertain whether Bhatia’s character Shama, a local erotic dancer, fits the bill of an ambitious woman.

Flora Saini spooked us as Stree in the first film, but she has been replaced by Bhoomi Rajgor in the sequel. There is considerable curiosity around actor Sunil Kumar, who plays Sarkata. He has no dialogue, except for his loud evil roars, which make us question whether the sound designer was asleep. Such tropes are typically found in South Indian horror films. While we haven’t seen what the real Kumar looks like, his demonic Sarkata appearance revives chilling memories of Anirudh Agarwal as the devil in Ramsay horror films.

The film throws two expected surprises, first of which is Maddock Supernatural verse integration. The other is the guest appearance by a star. We are not revealing, but there isn’t any mystery around the identity.

The best playback music is reserved for the end credits, with Kaushik opting for a longer run of two popular tracks. Much like Munjya (2024), Maddock Films has enhanced the visual effects scale for Stree 2.

The poster was inspired by Stranger Things 2, but the story, characters, tone, and humour are entirely desi. Technically, Stree 2 is sound, but creatively, the storytelling has its flaws. Given Stree’s popularity, the six-year wait for the sequel, endearing characters, world-class visual effects, it offers a fine package for the humble audiences. Stree 2 is not your typical leave-your-brains-behind cinema, but given its Sarkata plot, we don’t rule out Stree loyalists watching the film with a headless approach.

Watch the video review below.