Stree 2 Review: Rajkummar-Shraddha Kapoor Starrer Delivers An Important Message Behind The Laughs

Stree 2 Movie Review: Rarely a movie generates so much excitement among viewers as Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao starrer horror comedy, which hit the screens on August 15. Rewind 6 years back, Stree turned out to be a sleeper hit, eliciting chuckles with its tongue-in-cheek humour and well-crafted horror elements. Fast forward to 2024, not much has changed in the template of the film and the quaint town of Chanderi. Except, this time around, the residents are more skeptical than ever, waiting for evil to feed off their fears.

But there's a lot more to it than appears on the surface. The narrative strides forth riding on the current of feminism and blends with perennial mirth ingrained in its goofy characters. What audiences get is a worthy successor to a franchise that not only entertains but provokes an after-thought about the agency of women in a patriarchal world. Stree 2 becomes a contemporary, issue-based film when seen in the context of the atrocities against women. However, its light-hearted humour and hilarious one-liners don't let the plot get too serious.

Sarkata, or the headless demon, is loose in the town of Chanderi and feeds off "independent" women. He then becomes a metaphor for the society at large that wants to lock up women, fearing their independence will topple the existing and obsolete social structures. This is beautifully captured in a scene in Stree 2 when Sarkata hypnotizes the men in Chanderi who, in turn, lock up women behind the doors. For those expecting subtlety, such scenes commenting on gender disparity are aplenty, for those who prefer an on-the-nose approach, specific scenes play out so that you can't miss the message behind the laughs.

Another such instance is when out of fear of Sarkata's aatank (terror), women in Chanderi get their blouses altered to hide their skin. Its another sharp critique of the mindset of men and goes on to emphasise how the small village is just a microcosm of modern but archaic India.

Coming to film's highlights, Stree 2 is driven by spectacular performances from Rajkummar Rao as Vicky, Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra, Abhishek Banerjee as Jana and Aparshakti as Bittoo. They take the viewers on a laughter ride with no stops. The film tries to infuse other elements like jump-scares and drama in-between their relentless goofball moments. Shraddha Kapoor's presence is noticeable to a point and she has a clap-worthy entry scene, but beyond that, not much. In the climax, we can see her do some action and she shoulders a small but decently-written role that suits her well.

Maddock Films' horror-verse is in safe hands. Director Amar Kaushik has not erred in sewing together the franchise films in the past and teases what will follow. The horror elements scare you, the funny moments tickle you and the seriousness of the plot, although not apparent, is dramatic enough to engage you. Stree 2 raises the bar for Bollywood and proves that not all content needs to be mounted on a big scale. Thoughtful storytelling and entertainment matter, and Stree 2 brings them back in focus.

Rating: 4/5 Stars