Stree 2 REVIEW: Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao take all on a supernatural journey filled with humour, horror and heaps of cameos

Film:
Stree 2

Director: Amar Kaushik

Writer: Niren Bhatt

Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana

Runtime: 149 minutes (2 hours 29 minutes)

Platform: In theatres

Stree 2 Review

Set a couple of after the incidents of the 2018 film, Stree 2 talks about how the peaceful life in Chanderi is disturbed when the women of the town begin disappearing. Initially assuming the ladies simply left Chanderi for a better life in the city, the town erupts into chaos when a drug addict reveals it was a Sarkata (headless man) who abducted it and disappeared.

To know how Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) and his friends – Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi) and Jana (Abhishek Banerjee), save the town once more, who is Shraddha Kapoor and what’s her character’s mysterious identity, and why is the Sarkata back – you need to watch the film that is nothing short of a laughter ride filled with horror and loads of cameos. To know if Is Stree 2 worth a watch in theatres, scroll below to read our details review.

What Works

The screenplay and dialogues of Stree 2 are some of the film’s biggest plus points – there’s never a moment you aren’t intrigued by what’s happening on screen. The lead actors all slip into their character skins perfectly, making you forget that nearly 6 years have passed since the first film in the Maddock Supernatural Universe was released.

Technical Analytics

Story

Chanderi has had a few years since Stree was set free by Vicky and his gang. However, the peaceful life is disrupted as a few girls have started disappearing, including Bittu’s girlfriend, Chitti. A drug addict, who witnesses her abduction, reveals she was taken away by a Sarkata, confirming the tip-off Rudra received in the form of torn-off pages from the Chanderi Puran. At the same time, Vicky is still obsessed with Shraddha’s character and unwilling to let go of her memories. Suddenly, Kapoor’s character makes a return and tells Vicky about Sarkata and his evil plan. She then asks for his help to defeat the monster. What happens next – with cameos by Varun Dhawan and Akshay Kumar, forms the rest of the film.

Screenplay & Dialogues

Written by Niren Bhatt, the screenplay of Stree 2 is captivating thanks to the different characters all having impressive arcs. The dialogues are fun and will have you laughing continuously with references to different movies, pop culture and digs at one and another.

Direction

Amar Kaushik has done a commendable job behind the camera. His storytelling is evolved and the way he infuses humour while also scaring the audience is proof. Be it the pre-interval sequences or certain interactions in the Maddock Supernatural Universe’s ‘upside down,’ Kaushik manages to capture every emotion and movement making the experience wholesome and entertaining.

Cinematography, Editing & VFX

Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s cinematography is impressive and Mayur Sharma’s production design is commendable. Be it the ‘upside down’ shown in Stree 2 or the haveli where a lot of drama takes place, the duo have worked together beautifully to aid in the making of a brilliant film. The film’s VFX by Digital Domain doesn’ too bad either. While Hemanti Sarkar’s editing is slick in the first half, we wish she had kept the second half just as crisp as there are instances when it feels stretched.

Stree 2 Music

Just like the first film, Stree 2 is also impressive when it comes to music. The songs – composed by Sachin–Jigar and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, are sure to get more love after the audience sees them on the big screen than they have already received prior to the film’s release. Tamannaah Bhatia’s ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ is not an ‘item song’ but comes at a crucial juncture that plays a big part in the film’s narrative. The film’s other songs – Tumhare Hi Rahenge Hum, Aayi Nahin and Khoobsurat, are also nice. The background score provided by Justin Varghese is apt for the genre.

Stree 2 Star Cast

All the actors have delivered entertaining and honest performances, especially Rajkummar Rao, Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Kapoor and Aparshakti Khurana. Rao is definitely getting himself more fans thanks to his spectacular performance as ‘Chanderi Ka Rakshak’. His comic timing is spot on as are his facial expressions, body language and rapport with all the other characters.

Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra is unmissable. He’s the soul of the film and his dialogue delivery and effortless performance will have you holding your sides after a hearty laugh. Aparshakti Khurana is good but we see lesser and lesser of him as the film’s runtime decreases. Abhishek Banerjee steals the spotlight the minute he makes an appearance on the big screen and continues to do it even in the post-credit sequences.

Unfortunately, Shraddha Kapoor has limited screen time, but she manages to leave an impact on her performance and screen presence. We wish she had a little more bigger role.

Tamannaah Bhatia has a limited role as Shama but she sizzles in it with her thumkas and sensual moves. Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan have cameos in the film as they are part of the Maddock Supernatural Universe. Both deliver okay performances. Akshay’s character seems like something we’ve seen on screen already and he nor his character really interest you.

Conclusion

Stree 2 is a fun watch that will have you laughing your heart out from the get-go till the end credit scenes roll by. The film is laced with humour, horror and an interesting story beautifully brought to life. Though you may assume what’s going to happen next, the film is still captivating thanks to the writing of Niren Bhatt. The film would definitely have gotten a 0.5 more had the second half been as entertaining as the first.

PS: Do not leave your seats till the lights come on – these are 2 post-credit scenes. Also, let us know if you catch Shraddha Kapoor’s character name.

Hope you enjoyed our Stree 2 review.

Watch the trailer of Stree 2 here::

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