Fear, tears and laughs, twice over

Nonika Singh

Six years ago, when ‘Stree’ was released, it established horror.com as a commercially viable genre. Yesterday’s sleeper hit is today a full-blown franchise, evident not only in full-house shows across the country, but its surprise guest entries boasting of some of the biggest names (read Akshay Kumar in a wacky avatar) in the industry. Can the sequel, with additional star trappings, recreate the same magic and offer an equally enthralling experience? The answer, surprisingly, is a big yes.

‘Stree 2’ may not be as spooky in the sense that jump-scares are not that many. Rather, the face of screaming horror will not make you flinch. Yet, the movie is no less spoofy and laugh-a-minute jokes are guaranteed. The writing by Niren Bhatt is exceptionally clever; direction by Amar Kaushik is many notches above adept and the film offers a masterclass in acting. Together, not only do they make you laugh at jokes you have already heard in the trailer, but those used in the prequel too. To make a punch-line land twice over requires ingenuity and intelligent filmmaking. Kaushik, with 100 per cent support from its tried-and-tested cast, succeeds in this department.

One could argue that the template is the same. Indeed, it’s the same team of brilliant actors, too, led by Rajkummar Rao (Vicky), who once again proves what a phenomenal actor is he. His ‘theek theek’ is still loaded with meaning and intent. Others, especially Pankaj Tripathi (Rudra), with his impeccable comic timing and perfect Hindi diction, are no less effective. Can another actor use words like ‘vilupt’ and not sound like an anachronism? Can another actor amidst a serious conversation about the other-worldly creatures suddenly and seamlessly break into how alcohol consumption is not so bad?

And, it’s these quaint and chuckle-some touches that elevate the story which takes off in the same Chanderi town. Rudra receives a letter with a warning that ‘he’ is arriving soon. Who is ‘he’? Once again, ‘he’ is not just another ghost in Chanderi, but a spectre far more menacing and deep-rooted. A sarkata daanav (a headless demon) abducts young girls, correction, those with a modern ethos. Like the prequel, the makers pack in a significant message and reinforce the need to bust the ugly head of patriarchy. But not even once does Kaushik let the messaging get the better of the film’s entertainment value, or vice-versa.

The movie is a step up in many ways, but most eminently in how it marries so many texts, subtexts and Maddock Films’ own horror verses (yes, ‘Bhediya’) very much included. While ‘Stree 2’ makes you laugh for most parts, it even has an emotive core for which the lovely and talented Shraddha Kapoor can ‘pleejj’ take due credit. So, between tears of laughter, your eyes suddenly turn moist. And that is some achievement for a film that clearly does not take itself too seriously, nor wants you to.

It’s aware of its own foibles and your limited attention spans. Mark the lines when Jana (an excellent Abhishek Banerjee) questions, ‘Why have we got Bittu (a competent Aparshakti Khurana) here?’ Vicky replies, ‘Dost hai, laana padta hai.’ You get the point… not everything has a rationale.

Tipping a hat to other films has now become passé. But all the meta references here hit the nail on the head. ‘Ab lag rahe ho asli Rajkumar…’ pun intended is pun understood. And the yesteryear song ‘Pyar deewana hota hai…’ is a clear hoot followed by a smart wisecrack by Vicky. The beauty of ‘Stree 2’ lies in how every time you get immersed in the moment, Kaushik breaks the spell as if reminding you to not get too carried away. But the storytelling carries you on its wings and the interval arrives like a breeze. Thereafter, it ups the game and post-climax (in post-credit scenes), you get glimpses of new frontiers it is likely to cross in the ensuing outings.

If you liked ‘Stree’, there is no reason why you would want to miss this one. It comes with a tantalising promise of an original multiverse of our very own. Move over ‘MCU’, we are building our own. Even if right now our ‘superb-heroes’ come by way of seemingly coward simpletons, they win us over. Simplicity of goodness with an added sparkle of witticism is, after all, an everlasting winning combination.