JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Decoding the success of Stree 2: What made this Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao starrer a BIG BLOCKBUSTER
The historic success of Stree 2 starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao in lead has surprised the Hindi Film Industry as the horror comedy is on the verge of entering the Rs 500 crore club. Details
The historic success of the Amar Kaushik-directed Stree 2 starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao in lead has shaken the Hindi Film Industry. The Dinesh Vijan and Jio Studios-produced film is on the verge of entering the Rs 500 crore club and is set to be the first non-action film to attain this historic feat. But what has made Stree 2 a must-watch film on the big screen? Well the answer is simple – Stree is considered to be a game changer for the horror-comedy genre in modern times, and was watched by approximately 1.10 crore people in the cinema halls.
Stree became popular with repeat runs on Television
The audience base for this horror comedy increased further with repeat runs on television and more so with the rise of digital players in the pandemic times. The repeat runs and digital screenings brought in a lot of familiarity for the characters of Stree – right from Stree (Shraddha Kapoor) to Vicky (Rajkummar Rao), Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi), Bittu (Aparshakti Khurrana) and Jana (Abhishek Banerjee). The character familiarity aside, the music also kept the impact of Stree alive for 8 years – right from Milegi Milegi to Kamariyaan to Haveli among others.
Now let’s cut to the modern post-pandemic world when producer Dinesh Vijan decided to create his horror comedy universe. He started off with Bhediya, continued it to Munjya before arriving with Stree 2. The producer created goodwill for this genre of cinema with the two films including the massive success he tasted with Munjya at the box office. Interestingly, the spirit of Stree was alive in both Bhediya and Munjya in some or the other way – be it the cameo of Rajkummar Rao and Aparshakti Khurrana in Bhediya or the Stree 2 re-call teaser in Munjya. The producer also aided these things by the right music, right casting, production values, and theatrical release plans.
The hype and curiosity continued to build around Stree 2 with every passing asset – the re-call teaser landed well, followed by an outstanding trailer, which created the urgency in the fans of Stree franchise to buy the tickets. The two assets, were followed by 4 songs – Aaj Ki Raat, Aayi Nahi, Tumhare Hi Rahenge, and Khoobsurat – and interestingly, every song hit the bullseye and started to gain popularity among the cinema-going audience. The film was rightly marketed as well - the assets were screened with all important films on the big screen, there targeted city tours, and the team took over the reality shows.
Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik get things right with the trailer, music, and content
Basically, Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik tick-marked every box with the pre-release assets to generate conversations in the audience about the arrival of a probable good film. And the audience is smart, they can smell a good product and that’s what happened with Stree – the curiosity factor around the sequel laced with strong pre-release assets. The final work was done by director Amar Kaushik, and writer Niren Bhatt, who delivered a high on entertainment feature film. The initial euphoria was aided further by strong audience response from the early screenings and the rest as they say is history. Stree 2 delivered what the audience wanted – PURE ENTERTAINMENT, NO SOCIAL MESSAGE, AND NO WOKE ELEMENTS!
Now coming to the actors – do they benefit by it? Yes, of-course. Shraddha Kapoor brought in the star-face value to the franchise, whereas Rajkummar Rao got along the credibility factor, and elevated the scenes with his impeccable comic timing. The funniest of the scenes fall flat with the wrong casting, and the credit goes to Rajkummar Rao for lifting the film with his act. He may not be a star in the conventional sense, but his stardom rests in his talent to turn a scene around with his ability to act, and bring in a credibility factor to the projects. The same can be said for the trio of Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurrana, and Abhishek Banerjee. And as for Shraddha, she was the most popular face of the first part for a large section of the audience (due to the success of her earlier films on a bigger scale), and one can’t take away the love she receives from the audience, especially in the mass belts. Her presence made the first part of the film accessible for a larger audience base, leading to a bigger sampling.
In a nutshell, Stree as a franchise benefitted by the presence of every actor in some or the other capacity, and every actor benefitted due to the success Stree, again in some or the other way. It’s a two-way street, and it’s time for the team of Stree to celebrate the historic success as Stree stands for Team Effort. Here’s to Maddock and Jio Studios to back the content, and mount it in the best possible way, here’s to Amar Kaushik create a unique and entertaining cinematic experience, and three cheers to the entire star-cast of Stree for being secure on-screen in giving every actor the moment to shine. As the legends say, 'When A Film Works, Everything Works. When A Film Doesn't, Nothing Does. Live long cinema and always remember, 'Woh Stree Hai, Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hai'!
Latest Articles
