Stree 2 — Good Sequel, Successfully Recreates the Magic
Another good horror comedy for movie lovers
The Craze of Stree 2
Stree was the most entertaining movie with a strong subtext of a crucial social issue. It was the pinnacle of creativity in conceiving an interesting idea as an engaging story and blending horror and comedy. The movie ended at an interesting point that left the audience with some questions and we were excited about the next adventure that awaited the group of Vicky, Bittu, Jana, and Rudra bhaiya, and what might the mysterious character of Shraddha Kapoor do in the next installment. A promising trailer for its sequel Stree 2 only enhanced the anticipation and the audience was waiting to book their tickets when the prebooking opened. It was no surprise that it established many records at the box office during its opening long weekend and has easily earned over Rs. 300 crores worldwide while I write this article.
Its critical acclaim was more important for me and I was happy to see a rating of 9.1/10 in bookmyshow.com and 8.2/10 in IMDb. My favorite YouTubers were also raving about the fun they had in the packed cinema hall with laughter echoing from all directions. And they were right, the movie is a laughter riot.
What makes it watchable (and re-watchable)
The movie sticks to its story template from the first part, beginning with a scary scene, then gradually unfolding the plot while reintroducing all the supporting and major characters, and the small town of Chanderi. It continues the story where it left off. It makes it interesting by flipping the script such that after the departure of Stree, women are under threat (too close to reality).
Many who have been watching the movies in the Maddock Cinematic Universe would notice one cameo from a previous film that they may enjoy. There are two more cameos of famous actors that can excite viewers. These cameos make the movie more interesting.
The makers of the movie have tried hard to make almost every scene funny, and have mostly succeeded in getting laughs or at least a smile from the audience. The dialogue and funny and at times witty. The dialogue deliveries and the reactions from the four main characters, Vicky, Jana, Bittu, and Rudra bhaiya, entertain us and we feel like watching more of their adventures.
Ignoring the minor logical flaws in the plot of the film, my only issue was that the final fight scene gets tiring after five minutes because the end is predictable. Also, the post-credit scene was good but not exciting for me, in comparison to the fun I had watching the folks of the town of Chanderi. Despite this, I am excited to see what Maddock films have in store for us in their next movie in their cinematic universe because of their sincere family-friendly storytelling that has unfortunately become rare in Bollywood.
Shraddha Kapoor
Shraddha Kapoor is the show stealer of the movie, be it her entry scene in the movie to the action scenes, she is powerful yet works with the men of Chanderi, particularly Vicky, to achieve her goal. She has a strong presence in the movie and a better role than in Stree. In an interview, she said that she was going to be a cameo in the original script of Stree but she was so excited about the movie that she requested them to extend her role. Her role got further enhanced in Stree 2 and that makes the movie even better. Her mysterious past was in sharp contrast to the simple people of the small town of Chanderi, which kept the viewers curious about her motivations. This has been clarified in Stree 2. Looking forward to seeing more such good films of Shraddha Kapoor and her becoming a bona fide leading lady in movies as has been done by Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjee, and Kangana Ranaut.
Conclusion
A good (clean) comedy movie is scarce in Bollywood, and a good (clean) horror comedy comes once in a decade if it does happen. The last such good movie was its previous movie in 2018. For that alone we must cherish the fun experience we can enjoy with our family while watching these movies and ignore its minor flaws. We must watch such good movies in cinema halls to signal to them that we want more of such good content, and possibly better one next time.
Fun fact: In both movies, the ghost is not murderous. Both Stree and Sarkata abduct their targets but do not murder them or do unspeakable acts to them. This is a wise decision taken by creators to ensure it remains a family-friendly fun horror comedy for all ages.
Another fun fact: The teaser from another Maddock production movie shown in the cinema hall was power-packed and the audience loved it. Happy to see them experimenting with different subjects and different genres of movies.
Watch this movie in your nearest cinema hall. Watch it again when it releases on Amazon Prime.
