Terror Strikes Again! Dinesh Vijan’s “Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank”

Fear Has Its Own Menace. Now, talking about some menacing fear! The town of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, India is now free from the terror of the ghost woman known as “Stree”, who used to abduct men. But now, a new terror is born! It’s a huge headless man who had killed Stree, who used to be a tyrant when he was alive. The same headless man addressed as “Sarkata” now haunts the town. He abducts beautiful and modern young women at night. And what do you think he does after abducting these women? He shaves their heads bald and makes them living dummies.

Presenting Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor in Stree 2!

It is now up to Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) and his friends Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), Jana (Abhishek Banerjee), and Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi) to save the town from the haunting of the monstrous headless man. As Bittu’s beautiful girlfriend Chitti (Anya Singh) gets abducted by the headless man, they set on a quest to find him along with an unidentified woman (Shraddha Kapoor), who is actually a ghost herself!

Produced by Dinesh Vijan, written by Niren Bhatt, and directed by Amar Kaushik, “Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank”, translated as “The Woman 2: Terror Of The Headless Man”, is a direct follow-up sequel to Bollywood’s 2018 horror-comedy “Stree”, translated as “The Woman”. Starring Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor as the inexplicable pair, this horror-comedy also features Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, and Abhishek Banerjee in supporting roles. Stree 2 makes its theatrical release worldwide on Indian Independence Day.

Maddock Films Presents: Experience The Terror Of The Headless Man — Stree 2 (2024) Official Trailer:

The Good:

In India, horror comedies are on their high! This genre has surpassed the general horror niche when it comes to making films. It’s because when you mix some intense comedy with horror, it will scare you and at the same time make you laugh your heads off! The Indian crowd happens to love some action and comedy as well rather than just pure horror in their films. So, the horror-comedy genre is sure to rocket sky-high in the coming days.

Tamannaah Bhatia sizzles the screens with her item dance in the fiery track “Aaj Ki Raat”

The group of “brave men” return to save the town once again! Clockwise: Rajkummar Rao as Vicky, Aparshakti Khurana as Bittu, Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra and Abhishek Banerjee as Jana

I have to say, what a terrific screenplay Stree 2 has, much ahead of the original movie! We loved the original movie which was Stree (2018) and talking about this sequel, it was intensely exciting with its bouncing screenplay loaded with hilarious punches, terrifying horror, and last but not least, some mind-blowing action! Some of the double-meaning dialogues may sound vulgar but they sure are extremely comical.

And we just loved our favorite pair from Stree, Rajkummar Rao, and Shraddha Kapoor together on the big screens once again! Their on-screen love story is one of a kind! Even if Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) is least aware that the unidentified woman (Shraddha Kapoor) is actually a ghost, they both share deep feelings for each other. Shraddha Kapoor has once again performed some raw action alongside Rajkummar Rao. She as the ghost woman fights and tries to sacrifice herself to the headless man. She did this for her love and the town. The climax will surely blow up your mind with some fierce action. We also become aware of this ghost woman’s true identity in Stree 2 with which we were deceived in Stree. Initially, we thought that this ghost woman was Stree herself. But this sequel revealed that she was actually Stree’s daughter who took vengeance on the headless man for her mother’s death.

The track “Tumahare Hi Rahenge Hum” featuring Rajkummar Rao as Vicky and Shraddha Kapoor as his ghost girlfriend

Rajkummar Rao with Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, and Shraddha Kapoor in a horror still from Stree 2

The adventurous screenplay intensifies with the monstrous headless ghost (played by Sunil Kumar). “Bachchan Ke Upar Aamir Khan Laga Lo, Phir Bhi Kamar Tak Hi Aayegi Uski”, meaning “If you put Aamir Khan on top of Amitabh Bachchan, with their combined height they would only reach up to his waist”, as Rajkummar Rao describes him in this movie. The way this headless ghost abducts women is worth watching. He first throws his scary head towards them and that severed head entangles them with its long hairs and carries them inside a wall, vanishing into nowhere! Also in one scene, he unleashes a mass hypnotism among the townsmen who were protecting a dancer Shama (Tamannaah Bhatia) from him. That scene was simply mystifying!

Stree 2: An Intro By Maddock Films

Apart from all the scare, adventure, and action, there is hilarious comedy in every instance with Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aparshakti Khurana entertaining us with their ocean of humor. There was not a single moment in this 2-hour and 30-minute screenplay where you would feel a slowdown or start feeling bored. And I have to tell you, Akshay Kumar’s cameo in this movie will make you fall off your chairs with laughter. The climax also had Varun Dhawan as the werewolf to help Vicky and his ghost girlfriend as he had appeared in the horror-comedy “Bhediya”.

The visuals have a retro and nostalgic “small-town” essence. This movie was shot in the historical town of Chanderi itself, which happens to be a real place. Even if the nighttime ghost encounter animations were sloppy and dark in certain instances, still the hype and nostalgia of the drama made every scene enjoyable. Some of the songs in Stree2 were ultra-rocking and their melody and beats were awesome!

Rajkummar Rao (Left) as Vicky, Sunil Kumar (Center) as the headless ghost Sarkata (animated), and Shraddha Kapoor (Right) as the unidentified ghost girlfriend of Vicky in Stree 2

Stree 2: Varun Dhawan plays the werewolf “Bhediya” who teams up with Vicky and his ghost girlfriend to encounter the headless ghost while at the same time has a crush on her

The Bad:

Center: Varun Dhawan as he makes his cameo as the werewolf “Bhediya” at the climax

Unfortunately, you can understand and enjoy Stree 2 only if you have watched its 2018 prequel Stree. If you have watched that film, only then can you follow this sequel’s story and proceedings in the screenplay. This sequel happens to be a direct follow-up to the original film and the story begins right from where the prequel had ended in 2018.

For those people who are planning to watch this for the first time, I must warn you that this horror-comedy story will soar 20 feet above your heads. You won’t be able to understand anything except for some friends on their quest to encounter a headless creature. So, it’s my advice that you watch Stree (2018) first and then go for this sequel.

The Verdict: See It To Believe It!

Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor during their promotion of Stree 2 in my city, the city of joy Kolkata!

In Hindi cinema, you just don’t feel fear but when fear comes to you, you also perform some comedy to shoo it away. If you compare Indian horror movies to that of Hollywood, there’s this difference. It is because pure horror does not suffice for the Indian crowd. We want everything in one go! Combining comedy with horror becomes a rare blend that intrigues and entertains everyone.

Stree 2 is a cinematic masterpiece where the star cast goes into one-on-one duels with ghosts. Stree (2018) and Stree 2 are uniquely entertaining horror films blended with action and comedy. The reason why Stree 2’s Box-Office collections are soaring to record highs!

This movie is a great one-time watch for people of all ages. Certain scenes may instill fear in kids, so parental guidance is advised while watching. As for the rest of us adults, you wouldn’t want to miss out on this rollercoaster ride, trust me! Also, if you ever encounter a ghost in real life, don’t forget to do some extravagant comedy to overcome your fear.