The highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 blockbuster, Stree 2, arrives at a strikingly relevant moment. As I write this review against the backdrop of a recent horrific assault on a doctor in Kolkata, India, which has sparked intense protests and renewed demands for women's autonomy, it's hard not to see a connection. If art is to reflect life, then Stree 2, perhaps by an uncanny coincidence, reflects the fear of a progressive society slipping back to an era where women are oppressed by men, their freedoms curtailed, and aspirations stifled. Although these themes are presented through a comedic lens, the underlying message is unmistakable. This blend of humor with critical social commentary was precisely what made Stree such a delight—the seamless integration of women's empowerment and safety within the framework of a horror-comedy. The genre fusion by director Amar Kaushik and writers Raj and DK was executed with remarkable panache.
I was afraid that Part 2 would fail to measure up to the brilliance of the first one, especially since the trailer gave a distinct sense of déjà vu. Fortunately, I was wrong. Stree 2 proves to be as good—well, almost as good—though with a little more care and a tighter screenplay, it could have been great. However, there is much to like about the adventures of Vicky (Rajkummar Rao), Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), Jana (Abhishek Banerjee), Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi), and the unnamed mysterious woman who helps them all (Shraddha Kapoor). The spotlight is back on Chanderi, the charming town where these men reside. A few years after 'stree'—the spirit of a prostitute who seeks revenge on men after being wronged by them—has been disempowered, the town is in the grip of a new ghost, and this time it's the women who are under threat. Sarkata is an ugly creature who kidnaps women who are liberal, educated, and have dreams. (Quite a metaphor for patriarchal systems that hate independent women). When Bittu loses his girlfriend to Sarkata, the fumbling four come together to rescue her and the other ladies of Chanderi. Needless to say, they can't do it alone, and Shraddha makes an appearance to support and lead them.
Stree 2 does not veer away from the template. Director Kaushik and writer Niren Bhat stay true to the incidents of Stree, even building solid backstories. The happenings of the previous movie are smoothly narrated through a song and lead well to the present times. The first half is an absolute riot with several LOL moments. And that's primarily due to the sparkling dialogues and the easy banter between Rao, Khurana, Tripathi, and Banerjee. Moments like the one where Vicky mouths gibberish to Rema and Selena Gomez's Calm Down or Bittu singing lullabies to his girlfriend or Rudra making fun of Jana's IAS dreams are downright hilarious. The problem arises when the jokes overstay their welcome. As it happens often, not all the gags land, and some of them feel pretty dumbed down. A few witty one-liners also seem to pay homage to Stree, therefore reducing their impact. Remember Tripathi's funny retort to a villager asking him how the ghost managed to know everything about men she wanted to kidnap? “Sabka Aadhar card hai uske paas,” he had said, poker-faced. Here, in a very similar sequence, he describes Sarkata as an “influencer who is trying to amass followers”. Funny but ho-hum and forced.
Another issue is that some sequences appear to have been stitched in just for effect with a very far-fetched relevance to the central story. The beauty of Stree was that it was very tight and subtle, and despite the fantasy element, the film was simple, grounded, and real, including just the right amount of comedy, horror, social messaging, and organic laughs. In this film, every element is amplified for effect, and while the performance of the actors makes it very watchable, overall, it lacks the impact. The message about women's safety and agency is also a bit more pronounced than it was in the first part. The climax especially is overstretched, overlong, and VFX-heavy—again, rather unnecessary in a film about simple folks. Comparatively, the creepy atmospherics of Stree were scarier with the jump scares generating genuine fear. There is also an integration of a key player from another film of this horror-comedy 'universe' (producers Maddock Films seem to have hit their sweet spot with this genre) that works only to a limited extent. And then there is a bizarre cameo by an A-list superstar that has its funny moments but feels completely out of place.
Despite these glitches, Stree 2 is one of the better comedies to have come out of Bollywood in a long time. The humor is clever, and watching it in a packed theatre that is chuckling along with the antics of the leads makes it a worthy trip to the cinemas. During bleak times such as these, trust a 'stree' to bring in some cheer!
