Stree (2018 film)

Stree is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by debutant Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Raj & DK. It stars Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, alongside Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee and Flora Saini. The plot is based on the urban legend Nale Ba, which means "come tomorrow" in Kannada, modified as "o stree kal aana" ("oh woman, come tomorrow") in the film.

In late November 2017, Raj and DK approached Rao to star in their debut production. To prepare for his role as a tailor, Rao learned to sew. In December, Shraddha Kapoor was confirmed as the female lead. Amar Kaushik was enlisted to direct the film in January 2018. Principal photography began on 13 January 2018 in Chanderi, with additional filming in Bhopal and Mumbai. The final schedule was completed in May 2018. The soundtrack was composed by Sachin–Jigar with lyrics written by Vayu, Badshah and Jigar Saraiya.

Stree was theatrically released worldwide on 31 August 2018 and received positive reviews. The film grossed over ₹180 crore at the box office against a budget of ₹23–25 crore, becoming a box office success. The film received ten nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards and won Best Debut Director for Kaushik. It is the first installment in Maddock Supernatural Universe followed by Roohi (2021), Bhediya (2022) and Munjya (2024). A sequel titled Stree 2 is scheduled to be released on Independence Day 2024.

Plot
In the town of Chanderi, there is a widespread belief in the spirit of an angry woman known as Stree. During a four-day religious festival each year, she is said to stalk the men of the town, whispering their names and causing disappearances if they look back at her. To protect themselves, residents write "o stree kal aana" in blood on their doorways. Additionally, men are advised to avoid going out alone after 10 PM during the festival and to move in groups for safety. This practice reflects a societal parallel to the precautions typically advised to women for their own protection.

Vicky, a ladies' tailor in Chanderi, encounters a mysterious girl, credited as Girl with No Name, during the annual pooja season and falls in love with her at first sight. She requests him to stitch a lehanga. However, her frequent disappearances and unusual shopping list—containing items like a lizard's tail, white cat's fur, Datura flowers, meat, and brandy—raise concerns for his friend Bittu, who suspects she might be Stree. This suspicion deepens after another friend, Janna, is kidnapped by Stree. Vicky also grows wary of the girl and confronts her, but she vanishes yet again.

Vicky, Bittu and Rudra Bhaiya, the town's librarian and a paranologist, seek a way to save their friend Janna. They discover a partially torn book titled Chanderi Puran in Rudra's library, which details Stree's story and mentions an old fort. Vicky recognizes the fort from a date with the Girl with No Name. The trio visits the fort, believed to be Stree's lair, to find Janna. Stree drives away Bittu and Rudra and nearly attacks Vicky but refrains upon sensing love and respect in his eyes. She is then repelled by the girl's spell.

Later, the Girl with No Name reveals that she has been trying to defeat Stree for three years after losing someone close to her, explaining her presence during the festival. This confirms that she and Stree are different beings. That same night, Stree releases Janna at Vicky's request, but Vicky begins experiencing sporadic violent episodes. More men go missing when a possessed Janna, under Stree's influence, erases the word "tomorrow" from the protective phrases outside homes, leaving only "o stree come", effectively inviting Stree.

Vicky, Bittu, Rudra and the Girl with No Name decide to consult the book's author, Shastri, for a permanent solution to save the town. Shastri reveals that Stree was once an exceptionally beautiful courtesan desired by all the men in town. She eventually found true love and was set to marry, but on their wedding night, both she and her husband were killed by jealous townsmen. Since then, her spirit has sought her true love and aims to abduct every man in the town for revenge.

Shastri mentions a prophecy about a savior, and Vicky appears to fit the description. However, when he remembers that the savior is the son of a courtesan, his friends reveal that he is indeed a courtesan's son, which angers him, and he leaves in frustration. In a drunken state, Vicky confronts his father, who silently acknowledges this, deepening Vicky's turmoil. Eventually, Vicky feels grateful for his father's affection and resolves to save the town that has accepted him. The group devises a plan to kill Stree, but Vicky hesitates upon realizing she only seeks love and respect. The Girl with No Name suggests cutting Stree's long braid, the source of her power. Vicky follows through, and Stree vanishes.

The next day, the girl leaves the town, and Vicky bids her farewell, forgetting to ask her name. On the bus, she merges Stree's braid with her own hair before vanishing, implying that she is the witch seeking Stree's power. The following year, Stree returns to Chanderi and discovers a statue of herself at the town entrance, accompanied by a new phrase: "o stree protect us". This display of respect leads her to refrain from entering the town.

Cast
Adapted from the opening and closing credits:

Development
In November 2017, it was reported that Dinesh Vijan had finalised Rajkummar Rao as the lead actor for his next film, a comedy horror written by Raj & DK. Raj and DK revealed that the urban legend Nale Ba, which means "come tomorrow" in Kannada, was the core idea behind the film. They found the concept of a ghost turning back upon reading the sign "absurd and funny" and aimed to develop a unique perspective, featuring a gender reversal where the ghost targets men and men are afraid to go out at night.

In December 2017, Shraddha Kapoor announced on Twitter that she would collaborate with Rajkummar Rao and Maddock Films on their upcoming project. In January 2018, it was confirmed that the film would be titled Stree, directed by Amar Kaushik. To prepare for his role, Rao received a sewing machine, and a tailor visited him daily for 20 days to teach him how to sew.

Filming
Principal photography for Stree began on 13 January 2018 in Chanderi and the first schedule concluded on 30 January 2018. The second shooting schedule took place in Bhopal in March, chosen by producer Dinesh Vijan for its associated mysterious stories. Upon arrival, locals informed the production team about unexplained events in the area and necessary safety precautions. In response, guidelines were created and displayed in all rooms within the fort. Shraddha Kapoor completed half of her filming schedule in just 10 days. The final shooting schedule wrapped up on 1 May 2018. After filming was complete, a promotional song featuring Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor was shot in Mumbai in May 2018. Another promotional song, "Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe", featuring Kriti Sanon alongside Rao and Badshah, was filmed but did not make it to the final cut.

Music
The music for the film has been composed by Sachin–Jigar. The lyrics are written by Vayu except for one song "Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe" which is written by Badshah and Jigar Saraiya. The score, which is composed by Ketan Sodha, who had previously worked on Talvar, also included an extract of the theme song from Mission: Impossible (1996), with an Indian instrumentation in a comedic way. The entire sound track, comprising four tracks, was released on 22 August 2018.

Additionally, an extra song titled "Dil Ka Darzi" was released by Maddock Films. This song, which was not part of the official jukebox, was included in the film's title credits and was intended for Rao's character, a ladies' tailor. Written by Vayu, he performed the song alongside Prakriti Kakar. Vipin Nair of The Hindu rated the soundtrack 2.5/5, noting that it is entertaining but familiar. Debarati S. Sen from The Times of India stated in her review that the album is likely to "appeal to the masses".

Release
Stree was theatrically released worldwide on 31 August 2018.

Critical response
Stree received positive critical reception.

Anupama Chopra of Film Companion gave the film 3.5 stars out of five, stating that "With laughs and scares, Stree delivers an important message." Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost also rated it 3.5/5, praising Rao's acting and the film's humor. She wrote that "The primary reason why Stree is so effective, though, is that it does not caricature the people of Chanderi—they are as real and foolish, prejudiced, and good as most human beings are, and could well be you or me with less sophistication. Rajeev Masand of News18 gave it 3.5 out of 5, stating, "Stree is especially entertaining, packed with laugh-aloud moments and a cast that’s on top of their game. It’s one of the most original films this year, and I recommend that you make time for it." Rachit Gupta of The Times of India offered 3.5 out of 5, noting the superlative writing and dialogues, but felt the film was a little too long and had some "ambiguous ideas". Raja Sen of the Hindustan Times took a more moderate tone, commending the actors' energy and collaborative efforts but noting a rushed-feeling plot: "The laughs are inconsistent, and the plotting feels sloppy and rushed. The ideas are fine, but the writing needed work."

Box office
Stree collected ₹6.82 crore in India on the first day. In its first week, the film grossed ₹60.39 crore in India, surpassing its production budget of ₹23-25 crore. By the end of the second week, the film had grossed ₹95.53 crore. Overall, the film grossed ₹180.76 crore at the box office during its theatrical run.

Installments
The second installment titled Roohi, starring Rajkummar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Sharma was released on 11 March 2021. The third installment titled Bhediya, starring Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee, Deepak Dobriyal and Paalin Kabak was released on 25 November 2022. The fourth installment titled Munjya, starring Abhay Verma, Sharvari, Mona Singh and Sathyaraj was released on 7 June 2024.

Sequel
The sequel and fifth installment titled Stree 2, starring Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana is scheduled to release on Independence Day 2024.