Stree 2

StarringCinematographyJishnu BhattacharjeeEdited byHemanti SarkarMusic byDistributed by149 minutes^[1]CountryIndiaLanguageHindiBudget₹50 crore^[2]Box officeest. ₹374.49 crore^[3]

Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank (transl. Woman 2: Terror of the Headless) is a 2024 Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Amar Kaushik, written by Niren Bhatt, and produced jointly by Maddock Films and Jio Studios. It is the fifth installment in the Maddock Supernatural Universe and is a sequel to Stree (2018). The film stars Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana.

Kaushik expressed interest in a sequel to Stree as early as October 2018, and Rao later confirmed that development was underway in February 2022, albeit without original writers and producers Raj & DK, who fell out with producer Dinesh Vijan over the rights to the franchise, leading to Bhatt taking over as writer. Vijan and Jyoti Deshpande officially announced the sequel in April 2023. Principal photography commenced the following July and was predominantly completed in Chanderi and Bihar before wrapping by mid‐2024. The film has music composed by Sachin–Jigar, score composed by Justin Varghese, cinematography handled by Jishnu Bhattacharjee and editing by Hemanti Sarkar.

Stree 2 was theatrically released worldwide on 15 August 2024 and received positive reviews from critics. The film has grossed about ₹375 crore at the box office, emerging as the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2024 and the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024.^[3][4]

The film opens with the ending scene of the previous instalment, where Stree is about to re-enter Chanderi. She notices a statue of herself at the town entrance with the inscription, "o stree, protect us", and chooses to leave. Years later, Chanderi faces a new threat: a headless ghost named "Sarkata", who abducts women at night and drags them into a nightmarish alternate dimension. The townspeople, unaware of the ghost’s presence, mistakenly believe the missing women have left for better prospects. Vicky, still in love with the Girl With No Name, credited as "She", frequently imagines her appearing before him. Meanwhile, Rudra receives an anonymous letter containing missing pages from the Chanderi Puran and a cryptic message: "he will come."

One night, Bittu's girlfriend, Chitti, is taken by Sarkata. A beggar who witnessed the abduction confirms the ghost's existence. Vicky, Bittu, and Rudra investigate the torn pages of the Chanderi Puran and discover Sarkata’s origin. They find out that Sarkata is the vengeful spirit of Chandrabhan, a former village head who murdered Stree, a courtesan, by beheading her husband and burning her alive. After Stree’s departure from Chanderi, Sarkata has returned to target progressive women. Realising they need Stree's help to defeat Sarkata, the friends seek out Jana in Delhi, who was once possessed by Stree.

Jana, living with his cousin Bhaskar, is lured back to Chanderi under the pretext of a stage play by them, but when he discovers the real reason, he reluctantly agrees to assist. While searching for Stree at the old fort, Sarkata attacks and nearly kills Jana, who experiences visions of the alternate dimension where the abducted women are held captive. Believing Jana to be dead, the group is shocked when he revives, and they narrowly escape the fort with Sarkata in pursuit. As Sarkata terrorises the town, She reappears and saves the group by fighting Sarkata using the powers of Stree’s braid attached to her hair. The town’s women, living in fear, blame Vicky for defeating Stree, which they believe led to Sarkata’s emergence.

They pressure Vicky to take responsibility for the new threat, and She convinces him that his pure soul makes him the right person for the task. She gives Vicky a magical dagger and instructs him to use it to cut Sarkata's head in half. To trap Sarkata, the group organises a dance performance by Shama, Rudra's girlfriend. During the performance, Sarkata appears, but Vicky fails to decapitate him. Sarkata then possesses all the men present, except for Vicky, Rudra, and Jana. Sarkata subsequently abducts Shama, and the possessed men, including Bittu, begin controlling the town's women.

Desperate for a solution, the group follows a clue from the anonymous letter to a mental asylum, where they meet a descendant of Sarkata. The man reveals that Sarkata can only be defeated by a being that is "half of both"—neither fully man nor woman, human nor animal. With this knowledge, She merges her body with Vicky’s, creating a being capable of entering Sarkata’s lair. Inside the lair, Vicky and She confront Sarkata. Vicky cuts Sarkata’s head in half with the magical dagger, but each severed head regenerates into multiple new heads. As they are overwhelmed, Bhaskar arrives in his werewolf form and attacks Sarkata.

However, the battle becomes dire when Sarkata reattaches his head and overpowers Bhaskar. In a final attempt, She calls out to her mother, who is revealed to be Stree. Stree arrives and, with Vicky’s help, defeats Sarkata by beheading him again and dragging his body into the lava, destroying him for good. After Sarkata’s defeat, the women are freed, and the men are released from the ghost’s control. Vicky and his friends are celebrated as heroes. She reveals that she is a witch and must leave, but not before whispering her name to Vicky.

In the woods, Bhaskar, now human, receives clothes from Jana and asks Jana to set him up with She, to which he declines, but Bhaskar continues to plead. In a mid-credits scene, a mysterious pot containing Sarkata's remains reaches the mental institution, where his descendant inhales the flaming smoke from the remains and becomes possessed by the monster, hinting at the return of the terror.

• Rajkummar Rao as Vicky
• Shraddha Kapoor as She, the nameless pantheism
• Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra
• Abhishek Banerjee as Jana, Vicky's friend
• Aparshakti Khurana as Bittu, Vicky’s friend
• Atul Srivastava as Vicky's father
• Mushtaq Khan as MLA
• Sunita Rajwar as Jana's mother
• Anya Singh as Chitti
• Arvind Bilgaiyan as Jana's father
• Bhoomi Rajgor as Stree
• Sunil Kumar as Sarkata
• Aakash Dabhade as Narendra, Jana's friend
• Simran Sharma as Mamata, Narendra's wife
• Ajay Pal as postman
• Mustaqueem Khan as Durga
• Badriprasad Chavan as Lokesh
• Vipasha Arvind as Anju Bhabhi
• Tamannaah Bhatia as Shama (special appearance)^[5]
• Varun Dhawan as Bhaskar / Bhediya, reprises his role from Bhediya (special appearance)^[6]
• Akshay Kumar as Sarkata's descendant (special appearance)^[7]
• Amar Kaushik (cameo in the song "Aaj Ki Raat")^[5]

In October 2018, director Amar Kaushik announced his plans for a sequel to the Stree.^[8] In February 2022, actor Rajkummar Rao confirmed the sequel's development.^[9] In March 2023, the sequel entered the pre-production stage, with filming scheduled to commence in July 2023.^[10][11] In April 2023, the makers announced that the film would release on 30 August 2024.^[12] The cast included Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana, reprising their roles from the previous film.^[13]

Principal photography commenced on 10 July 2023,^[14] with the initial shoot held in Chanderi.^[15] Most of the main cast was present barring Pankaj Tripathi who joined the sets after completing his work on Main Atal Hoon.^[16][17] The second schedule began in the same place in November 2023.^[18] In December, a dance number featuring Tamannaah Bhatia alongside Rao, Tripathi, Khurrana, and Banerjee, along with the director, was filmed in Bihar and choreographed by Vijay Ganguly.^[19][5] According to him, it was shot under harsh weather conditions as Kaushik wanted to capture a realistic setting, as the following scene takes place in a live location.^[20] Varun Dhawan joined the set in February 2024 to shoot his special appearance, reprising his role from the film Bhediya.^[6]

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) did not mandate any visual cuts for Stree 2. However, the board requested two audio modifications: the removal of a celebrity's name and the muting of a national monument's name. After these changes, the film was granted a U/A rating and has a runtime of 149 minutes.^[1]

Stree 2
Soundtrack album by Sachin–Jigar
Released	10 August 2024
Studio	White Noise Collectives
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Length	14:40
Language	Hindi
Label	Saregama
Producer	Sachin–Jigar, Abhishek Singh
Sachin–Jigar chronology
Munjya (2024) Stree 2 (2024)
Official audio
Stree 2 (Audio Jukebox) on YouTube

The film's music was composed by Sachin–Jigar, with lyrics written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, and the background score by Justin Varghese. The first single titled "Aaj Ki Raat" was released on 24 July 2024.^[21] The second single titled "Aayi Nai" was released on 1 August 2024.^[22] The third single titled "Tumhare Hi Rahenge Hum" was released on 6 August 2024.^[23] The fourth single titled "Khoobsurat" was released on 9 August 2024.^[24] The entire album featuring 4 tracks was released on 10 August 2024.^[25]

The teaser for Stree 2 premiered in theatres during the end credits of Munjya on 14 June, and was later released on social media on 25 June 2024.^[26][27] The trailer of the film was released on 18 July 2024 and received over 10 crore views across platforms within 24 hours.^[28]

Stree 2 was initially scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on 30 August 2024 but was later rescheduled to premiere on Independence Day 2024. The day before its release, nearly 3,000 paid preview night shows were held.^[29][30]

The film will premiere on Amazon Prime following its theatrical run.^[31]

Stree 2 received positive reviews from critics.^[32] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10.^[33] A critic for Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Stree 2 marks the birth of a successful franchise and is laced with humour and horror in ample doses."^[34] Simran Khan of Times Now awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as a “well-packaged entertainer.” She commended Rao’s standout performance and praised the strong supporting cast, including Kapoor and Tripathi. While she noted a few flaws, such as a predictable climax, she emphasized that the film effectively balances horror and comedy, making it an entertaining watch that will appeal to fans of the genre.^[35] Abhishek Srivastava of The Times of India also rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it “a headless wonder that’s got humour in spades.” He highlighted the film’s clever script, which builds on the charm of its predecessor by introducing a male villain, Sarkata, who targets modern women. Although the second half suffers from pacing issues and some underwhelming character moments, Srivastava found that the film ultimately delivers an entertaining experience in the horror-comedy genre.^[36]

Tushar Joshi of India Today rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, noting that “Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor’s multiverse of madness is entertaining.” He praised the film’s humorous and thrilling continuation of the franchise, emphasizing its clever script and improved visual effects. However, Joshi pointed out that the film struggles with pacing and coherence in its multiverse crossover, though it shines due to strong performances, particularly from Rao and a surprising cameo by Akshay Kumar.^[37] Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times praised the sequel for its improvement from the predecessor, commenting that “Rajkummar Rao leads a sequel that’s better than the original; Abhishek Banerjee is the highlight.” Suri noted that the film skillfully blends humor with commentary on societal issues, particularly regarding women grappling with patriarchal constraints. He highlighted sharp dialogue and standout performances, especially from Rao and Banerjee, while also praising Bhatia’s notable entry.^[38] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com rated 3/5 stars and notes "Original's goodwill, natural bonhomie amongst the actors and wild card entries, Stree 2's spirited return sure has its high points."^[39]

Shilajit Mitra of The Hindu provided a more mixed review, remarking that “Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, and gang deliver the laughs, but not much else.” He noted that while the film retains the charm of its predecessor, it feels like a factory-made sequel, losing some of the original’s nuanced commentary on patriarchy amidst a convoluted plot. Although Rao’s performance as Vicky is delightful, Mitra critiqued the film’s over-reliance on franchise complexity, which he felt diminished the fresh edge that made the first instalment resonate.^[40]

Pratiksha Mishra of The Quint criticized the film’s visual effects, arguing that they make the antagonist, Sarkata, appear less menacing and more cartoonish. Mishra stated that this undermines the intended horror and seriousness of the character’s toxic masculinity, diminishing the film’s overall scare factor compared to the original, despite the sequel’s attempt to heighten the horror by changing the antagonist’s gender.^[41] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV India offered a similar perspective, giving the film 2.5 out of 5 stars. He remarked that “Shraddha Kapoor’s film is bemusing rather than petrifying,” noting that the film attempts to build on the success of its predecessor with a mix of comedy and supernatural elements but ultimately falls short due to its repetitive plot and lack of genuine scares. Chatterjee acknowledged the commendable performances but criticized the film’s reliance on predictable humor and outdated portrayals, which he felt left the film feeling stale despite moments of creativity.^[42]

Stree 2 grossed ₹9.40 crore from paid previews in select theatres the day before its release, breaking the previous record held by Chennai Express. Released alongside Vedaa and Khel Khel Mein on Independence day, the film went on to gross ₹64.80 crore, marking the second-highest opening day for a Hindi film, behind only Jawan (2023).^[43][44] It became the highest opening day of Rao’s career and the second-highest of Kapoor's only behind Saaho (2019).^[45]

As of 20 August 2024, the film grossed ₹317.83 crore in India and ₹56.66 crore internationally, for a total worldwide gross of ₹374.49 crore.^[3]

• Stree 2 at IMDb
• Stree 2 at Bollywood Hungama