Xtreme Vogue Mumbai Desk: Komal Qureshi
Stree 2 Review 4.5/5 & Review Rating
Star Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor
Director: Amar Kaushik
Review Synopsis:
STREE 2 is the story of a dangerous monster. Few years after the events of the first part, the peaceful life in Chanderi is disrupted as certain girls start disappearing. Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) is still waiting for his love interest (Shraddha Kapoor) to return. His friends Bittu (Abhishek Banerjee) and Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi) advise him to move on but he refuses to listen. Bittu is in love with a girl named Chitti (Anya Singh) and one day, she disappears mysteriously. A drug addict, who witnesses her abduction, says that a headless man (Sarkata) took away Chitti. Meanwhile, Vicky’s love interest returns all of a sudden and she tells Vicky about Sarkata and his evil plan. She asks his help to defeat the monster. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Story Review:
Niren Bhatt’s story is terrific and takes the story of STREE nicely forward. Niren Bhatt’s screenplay is full of entertainment and gives audience their money’s worth. Niren Bhatt’s dialogues are one of the USPs of the film and would bring the house down.
Amar Kaushik’s direction is supreme and its clear that his storytelling is evolved. The way he has infused humour while also scaring the audience is seen to be believed. The scene before the interval and the one in the mental hospital stand out. At the same time, he also takes the horror comedy universe forward and also connects STREE’s world with that of BHEDIYA [2022].
On the flipside, a few questions from part 1 still remain unanswered. Secondly, having two end credit songs gets too much.
Stree 2 | Official Trailer | Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi | Amar Kaushik
Performances:
Rajkummar Rao is entertaining as ‘Chanderi Ka Rakshak’. His comic timing is spot on. Shraddha Kapoor has limited screen time but she makes up for it with her performance and screen presence. Pankaj Tripathi is the soul of the film and the way he effortlessly raises laughs is praiseworthy. Aparshakti Khurana is too good in the first half but is hardly there later on. Abhishek Banerjee (Jaana) rocks the show. Tamannaah Bhatia (Shama) is sizzling. Anya Singh leaves a mark while Mushtaq Khan is wasted. Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan’s cameos are outstanding.
Stree 2 music and other technical aspects:
Sachin-Jigar’s music is of chartbuster variety. ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ is already a hit and comes at a crucial juncture. ‘Tumhare Hi Rahenge Hum’ is lovely. ‘Aayi Nahin’ and ‘Khoobsurat’ are great. Justin Varghese’s background score is apt for the genre.
Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s cinematography is neat. Mayur Sharma’s production design is impressive. Sheetal Iqbal Sharma’s costumes are earthy yet glamourous. The saree worn by Shraddha Kapoor in ‘Khoobsurat’ is appealing. Darrell McLean and Amrit Singh’s action packs a punch. Digital Domain’s VFX matches global standards. Hemanti Sarkar’s editing is slick.
Conclusion:
On the whole, STREE 2 marks the birth of a successful Bollywood franchise and is laced with humour and horror in ample doses. At the box office, it has taken a flying start and will comfortably enter the Rs. 300 cr club keeping the producers and exhibitors happy. Strongly Recommended!
