Stree 2 review: Rajkummar, Shraddha's peak formula is 2024's most entertaining film; Bollywood gets its Avengers moment

Director: Amar Kaushik

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee

Where to watch: Theatres

Rating: 4 stars

Everyone has that one fun friend, the one you don’t meet very often, but one that reminds you of the real fun times, when life was good and simple. Watching Stree 2 is like reuniting with that friend. Except that friend isn’t the same now. They use catchphrases for no reason, try extra hard to be funny and show off every moment possible. But as you get warmed up to the idea of the ‘new’ them, you realise your friend is still just as fun as they were, maybe just with a little less substance now. Stree 2 is, hands down, the most entertaining Indian film of the year with everything in the right measure, save for the plot. But beyond a point amid the perfectly executed laughs and scares, the absence of a coherent plot ceases to matter. Stree 2 is the perfection of the typical Bollywood formula in a genre the industry has been trying to ace for years now.

Stree 2 takes place a few years after the events of part 1. Stree, the misandrist demoness has been banished from Chanderi by Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) and his friends. But her departure has meant that a sarkata (headless) ghost has begun to haunt the town. And his target are ‘modern women’. The gang must reunite and with some help from the mysterious woman of Vicky’s dreams (Shraddha Kapoor), take down this new menace. Of course, in true cinematic universe fashion, they are helped by a few well-placed seetimaar cameos.

Stree 2 begins with a bang. The horror element is top notch with the jump scares getting to you even in the predictable places. The makers have stuck to the tried and tested without the need to experiment too much. The story reels you in, and the humour makes you stay. The dialogue are top notch, the delivery is perfect, and the physical comedy (particularly from Rajkummar and Abhishek Banerjee) is phenomenal. Stree 2 knows the right pressure points, the right timing to make sure the audience remains engaged. The tension diffuses at the right times and the humour turns to eeriness with equal ease.

The characters’ relatability and simplicity has been retained. None of the actors waste any time to get into their characters. That transports the audience back to Chanderi immediately. Rajkummar Rao is the shining light of the film with his perfect comedy. Abhishek Banerjee follows closely with a rip-roaring portrayal of the timid and traumatised Jana. Pankaj Tripathi takes some time to get into the mould, going slightly over in his early scenes, as does Aparshakti Khurana. Shraddha Kapoor looks pretty, feels mysterious, and comes across as immensely likable yet again. She does not have to do the heavy lifting performance-wise, which works in her favour.

The three (yes, including one completely unexpected one) starry cameos serve their purpose well, adding a lot to the story and not looking like some fan service. The pop culture references with the cameos, with the almost-fourth wall breaking jibes, are as close to Deadpool as mainstream Bollywood has gotten of late. That part of the film shows Raj & DK’s legacy in Niren Bhatt’s writing. In fact, there is a very Avengers Assemble moment there as well, and done very smoothly as well.

To say that the film is formulaic would be to state the obvious. But it is the perfection of a formula that Bollywood had lost over the years. Several films attempted to come close over the last few years, from Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 to Brahmastra. But Stree 2 fills the gaps those films had left. Amar Kaushik not just nails the entertainment quotient but also does justice to the larger universe it is a part of.

How it weaves the intricate plots of the Maddock Horror Universe together (Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya) is the one aspect where the writing of Stree 2 is any good. The plot is wafer thin and does not offer much in terms of intrigue and mystery. But it brings together characters and elements from the other films quite seamlessly, giving hope for the successful existence of the cinematic universe concept in Bollywood.

Stree 2 is a winner on most counts, the event film-summer blockbuster combination that Hindi cinema had been missing all this year. It asks you to leave your intellect at home and just come to the theatre for good old entertainment. In that, it succeeds. I just have one wish – that it could have been less loud. The constant banshee screaming from the demons does make you wish you carried ear buds to the hall.

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