Stree (2018 film)

Indian film by Amar Kaushik

Stree

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Amar Kaushik
Written by|

* Story and Screenplay:
Raj & DK
* Dialogues:
Sumit Arora

Produced by|

* Dinesh Vijan
* Raj & DK

Starring|

* Shraddha Kapoor
* Rajkummar Rao
* Pankaj Tripathi
* Aparshakti Khurana
* Abhishek Banerjee

Cinematography| Amalendu Chaudhary
Edited by| Hemal Kothari
Music by|

* Songs:
Sachin–Jigar
* Score:
Ketan Sodha

Production
companies

* Jio Studios
* Maddock Films
* D2R Films

Distributed by| AA Films

Release date

* 31 August 2018 (2018-08-31)

Running time

| 127 minutes[1]
Country| India
Language| Hindi
Budget| ₹23–25 crore[2][3]
Box office| est. ₹180.76 crore[4]

Stree (transl. Woman) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by debutant Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Raj & DK. It stars Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, alongside Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. The plot is based on the urban legend Naale Baa, the words meaning "come tomorrow" in Kannada and modified as o stree kal aana ("o woman come tomorrow" in Hindi) in the film.[5][6]

In late November 2017, Raj & 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.[7]

Stree was theatrically released worldwide on 31 August 2018 and received positive reviews from critics. The film grossed over ₹180 crore at the box office against a budget of ₹23–25 crore, becoming a major commercial success at the box-office. At the 64th Filmfare Awards, the film received 10 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Kaushik), Best Actor (Rao) and Best Supporting Actor (for both Khurana and Tripathi), winning Best Debut Director (Kaushik). It is the first installment in Maddock Supernatural Universe followed by Bhediya (2022) and Munjya (2024). A sequel titled Stree 2 was released on Independence Day 2024, which was also a major commercial success at the box office.[8]

## Plot

[edit]

In the town of Chanderi, locals believe in the legend of Stree, the spirit of a woman who abducts men during a four-day annual festival, leaving behind only their clothes. To protect themselves, townsfolk inscribe O Stree Kal Aana (transl. "O Stree, come tomorrow") on their walls and men refrain from going out after 10 PM.

Vicky, a ladies' tailor, meets a mysterious woman who asks him to stich a lehenga. He becomes infatuated with her, but his friend Bittu grows suspicious of her frequent disappearances and limited presence in the town. When their friend Jana is abducted, Vicky grows wary of the woman and, with Bittu and a local librarian named Rudra, investigates the legend. They find a partially burnt book titled Chanderi Puran, which reveals that Stree was once a beautiful courtesan who truly loved a man and was murdered by men in the town before she could marry him. Believing her spirit to reside in a nearby fort, the trio ventures there and encounters Stree. Vicky is nearly enchanted, but the mysterious woman repels the spirit. She claims that she lost someone to Stree and has been trying to stop her for years.

The group rescues Jana and takes him home but eventually notices his strange conduct; he erases the protective wall inscriptions, causing more abductions. They consult Shastri, the book's author, who prophesies that a man born under an oak tree to a courtesan will defeat Stree. Rudra suggests that Vicky fits his prophecy, revealing that his mother was a courtesan. He confirms this with his father and decides to embrace his destiny.

The group devises a plan to trap Stree and lures her to Vicky. However, she abducts him again and takes him to her lair, where Vicky understands her desire for love and respect. The woman advises Vicky to cut off Stree's braid, her source of power. He does so, and Stree disappears. The next day, the group is celebrated in the town while Vicky says goodbye to the woman, still unaware of her name. As she leaves on a bus, she is shown attaching Stree's braid to her own and vanishes, hinting at her possible desires to possess Stree's abilities.

A year later, Stree returns to Chanderi but sees a statue erected in her honour with the phrase O Stree Raksha Karna (transl. "O Stree, protect us"), prompting her to leave peacefully.

## Cast

[edit]

Adapted from the opening and closing credits:[9]

* Shraddha Kapoor as the Girl with No Name (mentioned as 'Gayatri' in the script by Raj & DK [10])
* Rajkummar Rao as Vicky, a ladies tailor
* Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra, a paranologist
* Aparshakti Khurana as Bittu, Vicky’s friend
* Abhishek Banerjee as Jana, Vicky's friend who gets possessed by Stree
* Atul Srivastava as Vicky's father
* Flora Saini as Stree
* Vijay Raaz as Shankar Shastri, the author of Chanderi Puran
* Aakash Dabhade as Narendra
* Sunita Rajwar as Jana's mother
* Badriprasad Chavan as Lokesh
* Mustaqueem Khan as Durga
* Manoj Chaube as Panditji
* Viren Basoya as Prakash
* R. N. Shukla as Watchman
* Kusumlata Shastri as Vicky's neighbour
* Mushtaq Khan as an M.L.A.
* Nora Fatehi as the dancer in the song "Kamariya"
* Amar Kaushik as homeless stud

## Production

[edit]

### Development

[edit]

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 & 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.[11][12]

In December 2017, Shraddha Kapoor announced on Twitter that she would collaborate with Rajkummar Rao and Maddock Films on their upcoming project.[13][14][15] In January 2018, it was confirmed that the film would be titled Stree, directed by Amar Kaushik.[16][17] 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.[18][19]

### Filming

[edit]

Principal photography for Stree began on 13 January 2018 in Chanderi and the first schedule concluded on 30 January 2018.[20][21] The second shooting schedule took place in Bhopal in March, chosen by producer Dinesh Vijan for its associated mysterious stories.[22] 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.[23][24] Shraddha Kapoor completed half of her filming schedule in just 10 days.[25] The final shooting schedule wrapped up on 1 May 2018.[26] After filming was complete, a promotional song featuring Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor was shot in Mumbai in May 2018.[27] Although the promotional song "Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe", featuring Kriti Sanon alongside Rao and Badshah, was filmed, it ultimately remained as background music in the film.[28][29]

## Music

[edit]

Main article: Stree (soundtrack)

The music for the film has been composed by Sachin–Jigar.[30] The lyrics are written by Vayu except for one song "Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe" which is written by Badshah and Jigar Saraiya.[31] The score is composed by Ketan Sodha.[32] The entire soundtrack album, comprising four tracks, was released on 17 August 2018 by T-Series.[33]

## Release

[edit]

Stree was theatrically released worldwide on 31 August 2018.[34]

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical response

[edit]

Stree received positive critical reception. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10.[35]

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."[36] 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.[37] 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."[38] 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".[39] 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."[40]

### Box office

[edit]

Stree collected ₹6.82 crore in India on the first day.[41] In its first week, the film grossed ₹60.39 crore in India,[42] surpassing its production budget of ₹23–25 crore.[2][3] By the end of the second week, the film had grossed ₹95.53 crore.[43] Overall, the film grossed ₹180.76 crore at the box office during its theatrical run.[4]

## Accolades

[edit]

Award  | Date of ceremony  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Screen Awards | 16 December 2018 | Best Film | Dinesh Vijan, Raj & DK | Won  | [44]
Best Director | Amar Kaushik | Nominated  | [45]
Best Actor | Rajkummar Rao | Won  | [46][47]
Best Supporting Actor | Pankaj Tripathi
Best Dialogue | Sumit Arora
Most Promising Debut Director  | Amar Kaushik
Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Abhishek Banerjee | Nominated  | [48]
Zee Cine Awards | 19 March 2019 | Best Film | Dinesh Vijan, Raj & DK  | Nominated  | [49]
Best Film (Critics) | [50]
Best Actor – Male | Rajkummar Rao
Best Supporting Actor – Male | Pankaj Tripathi
Best Actor in a Comic Role | Abhishek Banerjee
Aparshakti Khurana
Best Debut Director | Amar Kaushik  | Won
Best Dialogue | Sumit Arora
Filmfare Awards | 23 March 2019 | Best Film | Dinesh Vijan, Raj & DK  | Nominated  | [51]
Best Director | Amar Kaushik
Best Actor | Rajkummar Rao
Best Supporting Actor | Aparshakti Khurana
Pankaj Tripathi
Best Story | Raj & DK
Best Screenplay
Best Dialogue | Sumit Arora
Best Editing | Hemanti Sarkar
Best Art Direction | Madhusudan
Best Debut Director | Amar Kaushik  | Won

## Installments

[edit]

Further information: Maddock Supernatural Universe

The second installment titled Bhediya, starring Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee, Deepak Dobriyal and Paalin Kabak was released on 25 November 2022.[52] The third installment titled Munjya, starring Abhay Verma, Sharvari, Mona Singh and Sathyaraj was released on 7 June 2024.[53][54]

## Sequel

[edit]

Main article: Stree 2

The sequel and fourth installment titled Stree 2, starring Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana was released on 15 August 2024.[55]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Stree". ecinepramaan.gov.in. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
2. ^ a b Hungama, Bollywood (18 September 2018). "Box Office: Understanding the economics of Stree and the profits it has earned for its makers". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
3. ^ a b "Stree Actor Rajkummar Rao: "Not Budget, Content Determines A Film's Success"". NDTV.com. 22 February 2019. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
4. ^ a b Hungama, Bollywood (31 August 2018). "Stree Box Office Collection till Now". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
5. ^ Srivastava, Soumya (1 September 2018). "Nale Ba, the Bengaluru urban legend that inspired Stree". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
6. ^ "A real horror show". Bangalore Mirror. 27 October 2019. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
7. ^ "Rajkummar Rao to star opposite Shraddha Kapoor in a horror comedy". The Indian Express. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
8. ^ "Stree 2 and Bhediya 2 to take Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe to new heights". India Today. 12 April 2023. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
9. ^ Stree (in Hindi). India: Maddock Films. 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2024 – via Disney+ Hotstar.
10. ^ "Stree - original script" (PDF). D2R Films. 2018.
11. ^ "Interview with Raj and DK about Stree Manu by Bala Tirumalasetty - Telugu cinema directors". Idlebrain.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
12. ^ Katariya, Meenu (1 September 2018). "Here's The Chilling Story About The Bengaluru Witch Nale Ba, That Inspired 'Stree'". scoopwhoop.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
13. ^ "Shraddha Kapoor to feature with Rajkummar Rao in Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
14. ^ "Shraddha Kapoor joins Rajkummar Rao in Dinesh Vijan and Raj-DK's next!". DNA India. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
15. ^ "IFFAM: 'Newton' Star Rajkummar Rao Signs Horror Comedy". Variety. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
16. ^ "Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor begin shooting for horror-comedy titled Stree". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018.
17. ^ "Title of Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor's horror comedy". DNA India. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
18. ^ "Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor's film is tailored, with a hint of the supernatural". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
19. ^ "Rajkummar Rao to play leading man in Dinesh Vijan's horror comedy film". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
20. ^ "Lucky 13 for Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
21. ^ "Rajkummar Rao And Shraddha Kapoor Wrap Stree's First Schedule". NDTV. 8 January 2018. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
22. ^ "Shraddha Kapoor And Rajkummar Rao Singing Dil Se Is Pure Gold". NDTV. 27 March 2018. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
23. ^ "Shraddha gets a notice". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
24. ^ "Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao to shoot for Stree at a haunted location in Bhopal; get statutory warning". Pinkvilla. 24 March 2018. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
25. ^ "Here's how long Shraddha Kapoor will be shooting for her film Stree". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
26. ^ "Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao BURN the dance floor at Stree wrap up party". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 19 May 2018.
27. ^ "STREE: Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao to shoot in Mumbai and here are the details". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
28. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (1 September 2018). "Stree Movie Review: Stree surely has a chance to tickle the audience's funny bone, send a chill down their spine and ultimately give them a roller coaster experience. Impressive!". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
29. ^ "Stree song Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe: Kriti Sanon raises the horror comedy quotient". The Indian Express. 22 August 2018. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
30. ^ "Sachin-Jigar on composing for Bollywood: Trust and challenges bring out the best in us". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
31. ^ "Shraddha Kapoor Will Be 'Remembered For Her Role' In Stree, Says The Producer". NDTV. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
32. ^ Unnikrishnan, Chaya (11 July 2018). "After recreating 'Dilbar' song, Nora Fatehi to now sizzle in Stree". DNA India. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
33. ^ "Stree (Audio Juke Box)". The Times of India. 17 August 2018. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
34. ^ "'Stree' to release on August 31". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
35. ^ "Stree". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
36. ^ "Stree Movie Review - Film Companion". 31 August 2018. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
37. ^ "Bhediya movie review: Horror comedy that marginalises the people of Arunachal while opposing marginalisation". 25 November 2022. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
38. ^ Rockstah Media. "That's the spirit! - Rajeev Masand – movies that matter: from Bollywood, Hollywood and everywhere else". rajeevmasand.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
39. ^ "Stree Movie Review {3.5/5}: An experimental horror-comedy that is high on laughs". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024.
40. ^ "Stree movie review: Rajkummar Rao's horror-comedy needs more laughs". 31 August 2018. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
41. ^ "Rajkummar Rao's Stree surpasses expectations, nets in Rs 6.82 crore". Hindustan Times. 1 September 2018. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
42. ^ "Stree box office collection Day 7: Rajkummar Rao film earns Rs 60.39 crore". The Indian Express. 7 September 2018. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
43. ^ "Stree box office collection Day 14: Rajkummar, Shraddha film earns Rs 95.53 crore". The Indian Express. 14 September 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
44. ^ "Star Screen Awards 2018 FULL winners list: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Rajkummar Rao walk away with trophies | Bollywood News". www.timesnownews.com. 17 December 2018. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
45. ^ Morani, Aly; Morani, Karim; Morani, Mohomed; Nadiadwala, Mazhar; Soorma, Neelam (31 December 2018). "A Star-studded Night". Star Screen Awards. 112 minutes in. Star Plus. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
46. ^ "Star Screen Awards 2018 complete winners list". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
47. ^ "Winners of Star Screen Awards 2018". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
48. ^ Morani, Aly; Morani, Karim; Morani, Mohomed; Nadiadwala, Mazhar; Soorma, Neelam (31 December 2018). "A Star-studded Night". Star Screen Awards. 25 minutes in. Star Plus. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
49. ^ Baddhan, Raj (23 February 2019). "ZEE Cine Awards 2019: Nominations list (viewer's choice)". BizAsia. Media 247 UK. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
50. ^ "Zee Cine Awards 2019". Zee Cine Awards. 31 March 2019. Zee Cinema. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
51. ^ "Nominations for the 64th Vimal Filmfare Awards 2019 | filmfare.com". www.filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
52. ^ "Bhediya OTT release: Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon's horror-comedy to finally stream on this date". DNA India. 20 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
53. ^ Basu, Devanshi (11 June 2024). "Munjya OTT Release Date & Platform Revealed?". Yahoo Entertainment. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
54. ^ Bohra, Anurag (16 July 2024). "Shraddha Kapoor announces Stree 2 trailer release with new poster: 'Aa rahi hai'". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
55. ^ "Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao starrer Stree 2 to release on August 15". Bollywood Hungama. 14 June 2024. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Stree at IMDb
* Stree at Bollywood Hungama

* v
* t
* e

Maddock Horror Comedy Universe

Films|

* Stree (2018)
* Roohi (2021)
* Bhediya (2022)
* Munjya (2024)
* Stree 2 (2024)
* Thama (2025)

Maddock Films

* v
* t
* e

Amar Kaushik

Films directed|

* Stree (2018)
* Bala (2019)
* Bhediya (2022)
* Stree 2 (2024)

Films produced|

* Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga (2022)
* Munjya (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Raj & DK

Director, writer and producer|

* Flavors (2003)
* 99 (2009)
* Shor in the City (2011)
* Go Goa Gone (2013)
* Unpaused (2020)
* The Family Man (series; 2019-present)
* Farzi (series; 2023)
* Guns & Gulaabs (series; 2023)
* Citadel: Honey Bunny (series; 2024)

Director and writer|

* Happy Ending (2014)
* A Gentleman (2017)

Producer only|

* D for Dopidi (2013)
* Cinema Bandi (2021)

Writer and producer|

* Stree (2018)

* v
* t
* e

Screen Awards for Best Film

* Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1995)
* Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1996)
* Raja Hindustani (1997)
* Border (1998)
* Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1999)
* Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2000)
* Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2001)
* Lagaan (2002)
* Devdas (2003)
* Koi... Mil Gaya (2004)
* Veer-Zaara (2005)
* Black (2006)
* Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2007)
* Chak De! India (2008)
* Jodhaa Akbar (2009)
* 3 Idiots (2010)
* Udaan (2011)
* The Dirty Picture & Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2012)
* Paan Singh Tomar (2013)
* Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2014)
* Queen (2015)
* Talvar (2016)
* Pink (2017)
* Dangal (2018)
* Newton (2018)
* Stree (2019)
* Gully Boy (2020)

*[est.]: estimation
*[transl.]: translation
*[Ref.]: Reference(s)
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template