Stree 2: Sarkathe Ka Aathank

Cast: Rajkummar Rao (Vicky), Aparshakti Khurana (Bittu), Abhishek Banerjee (Jana), Shraddha Kapoor (Unnamed Witch), Pankaj Tripathi (Rudra Bhaiya), Stree (Bhoomi Rajghor), Varun Dhawan (Bhaskar), Akshay Kumar (Chandrabhanu’s descendant)
Director: Amar Kaushik
Producer: Dinesh Vijan, Jyoti Deshpande
Release Date: 15th August 2024

Rating: 3.8/5

As someone who really enjoyed the unique blend of horror and comedy that Stree:part1 had managed to be, I eagerly anticipated part 2 like many others. Aaannnd, it doesn’t disappoint👌 !

Stree 2 pays ode to plenty of jokes from part 1 by re-referencing their context in the second part. If you have watched the first part you will definitely be tickled to hear them again with new intelligent ones added to the mix. Stree 2 begins with a complete turnaround in the customs and traditions at the town of Chanderi. What was once  “O Stree Kal Aana” is now “O Stree Raksha Karna”, with a statue of Stree erected like a gatekeeper or protector. Plays regarding Vicky and Stree’s legendary clash are acted out like Ramleela and we have women priests taking the lead at worshiping at the temples. Needless to say, the town now celebrates Stree. It’s a subtle show of modern feminism.

Until one night, not soon after, a dark entity called Sarkatha wakes up. Taking advantage of the now absent spirit of Stree, he literally uses his head to lure unsuspecting girls to the underworld. We have Vicky, who is still the best tailor and spends his time in dream-like sequences with Shraddha Kapoor that the others constantly call him out on. Bittu, who spends his time with his pseudo girlfriend Chitti and Jana who is sent to Delhi to prepare for IAS. While Aparshakti Khurana, packs on the comedy here, he plays the serious Pushkin Verma in Berlin (Check out our review for Berlin). The boys keep speculating how the women of the village are leaving for better prospects outside until it gets revealed as the work of Sarkatha….

They team up again to defeat Sarkatha, spirit of a man called Chandrabhanu who was once the head of the village, but was beheaded by Stree who returned as a revengeful entity after being burned alive by him. Known to generally engage in hedonistic activities and debauchery during his reign at the village, his return and rise to power leads to women being subjugated again. Shraddha Kapoor returns to the gang during a confrontation with Sarkatha, swinging her braid with much aplomb and display of girl/ghost power.

Tammanah acts as Shama, a sort of courtesan from a neighbouring village who holds Rudra Bhaiya’s heart . Rudra Bhaiya is played by the talented Pankaj Tripathi, who made waves with his performance in Criminal Justice series. A plot relevant dance number, Aaj Ki Raat by Tammanah is smartly inserted. What was really not needed was Khoobsurat, the dance number at the end of the movie between Shraddha, Varun and Rajkummar Rao which hints at a budding love triangle between the trio possibly to be explored in a Part 3 ?! Stree 2 answers a couple of questions that were left unanswered in part 1 and then raises a slew of others that could be explored in a potential part 3?!

Not just Tammanah , we have Varun Dhawan who plays the werewolf Bhaskar , in a crossover from the movie Bhediya and Akshay Kumar of Bhool Bhulaiya fame as a descendant of Chandrabhanu who lends valuable assistance to the trio. What I liked was all three had plot relevant cameos.

Stree 2 explores a unique genre of comedy with horror, executed tastefully while gently touching on heavy subjects like gender disparity, the supernatural, the mystic sciences, women empowerment… keeping it light hearted and humorous.