Stree Movie Review: This Rajkummar Rao starrer is a horror comedy done right
Stree Movie Review: Rajkummar Rao shines and strays away from his serious roles to play the ideal mainstream masala-tastic actor and his comic timing is inimitable. Shraddha Kapoor's character felt more like a 'special appearance' of sorts and it was not memorable.
"Itni sundar Stree, stree kaisi ho sakti hai," is the line I take back from this Rajkummar Rao starrer as I leave the cinema hall. Stree promised to be a horror comedy and unlike the few bad examples set by such Bollywood movies in the recent past, this one delivers and how. This paticular genre is not the easiest to tackle with but Stree gives us a master class on how to perfect it. Without any spoilers, Stree is about Vicky's (Rajkummar Rao) quest for STREE, who captures men through the art of seduction and instead of the walk of shame, leaves their trail of clothes behind. This small-town hero Vicky has his allies (Aparshakti Khurrana and Abhishek Banerjee) as well as the know-it-all Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi) as his partners. In between this mystery is a love story between Vicky and a girl (Shraddha Kapoor), who he only meets once a year, during an aarti.
Rajkummar shines and strays away from his serious roles to play the ideal mainstream masala-tastic actor in Stree and his comic timing is inimitable. The small-town galli ka munda who is a self-proclaimed maharaja has become the basic tool for rural-centric Bollywood movies and even in Stree, the character of Vicky wins you over. On the other hand, Shraddha fails to steal your heart as she stole Vicky's, in the film. In what could be touted as a 'special appearance' of sorts, Shraddha does not make most of what could have been a memorable character. What Shraddha could not do, Pankaj, Aparshakti and Abhishek achieve with their laugh out loud performances.
The storyline of Stree is based on a "ridiculous" phenomenon, yet works like a charm while staying true to its title. It may seem funny to read before you watch the movie, but Stree is 'empowering' while being wildly funny. Amar Kaushik perfectly blends the rural aspect with a genuineness that anyone can relate to and uses his actors to their utmost potential. There are way too many memorable scenes and even funnier dialogues that are as good as a scrumptious three-course meal. The cinematography meshes well and adds the horror aspect required to leave you at the edge of your seats.
The soundtrack was a bit overused and could have been avoided but in some instances, like the dancing track Kamariya featuring the Dilbar Dilbar sensation Nora Fatehi it furthered the narrative of the movie and was a major plot point in the film.
When there are horror, mystery and intrigue in a film, there is also the 'climax' which is of extreme importance and significance. Just when you think you have reached the end and solved the mystery, be prepared to be left gobsmacked.
On an ending note to all horror-comedy genre movie lovers, Stree is an unmissable treat which has a pinch of adequate horror and a whole lot of comedy to keep you crackling throughout.
We rate it a 70% on the movie meter.