How Did Stree End? Revisit Shraddha Kapoor-Rajkummar's Horrror Movie Before Sequel's Release

Stree hit the big screens in 2018. The Hindi language horror-comedy movie was directed by debutant director Amar Kaushik. The film minted ₹129.83 crore at the domestic box office and is celebrated as a built classic. Along with Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, the film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aparshakti Khurrana. 

During the promotion of the film's sequel, the lead actor Rajkummar Rao has assured that the movie is true part 2 and not a spiritual sequel. He could be heard saying, “Stree 2 starts from the same shot that Stree ended at”. This has generated curiosity about the ending of the first film. 

What was the story of Stree? 

Based on the urban legend Nale Ba, which means “come tomorrow” in Kannada, Stree was set in the town of Chanderi. Residents of the town believed that during a four-day religious festival, a witch stalks the men of the town and angrily captures them making them disappear forever. To save themselves from the attack of this witch, houses in the town are painted with the words, "Oh Stree Kal Aana (come tomorrow), which she seems to honour. However, fearing her the men avoid going out in the streets alone after 10 PM. 
 

A brave man Vicky (Played by Rajkummar) seems to be enchanted with Stree, who appears in the form of Shraddha in front of him. His infatuation turns into love and he decides to unravel the mystery behind the legend. This leads to several encounters with the witch itself. A group comes together, initially to kill Stree. However, Vicky realises that she only wants love and respect. Acting upon a suggestion given by an unknown girl, he only cuts her braid, thus stripping her of her powers. 

The concluding shot of the movie shows Shraddha Kapoor boarding a bus departing from Chanderi. While en route, she merges the braid that Rajkummar cut with her own hair and disappears. The film is available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar. 
 

The mystery around Stree continues in Stree 2

The trailer of the upcoming horror-comedy Stree 2 was unveiled in Mumbai on July 20, promising a solid dose of its signature blend of horror and comedy. The town of Chanderi revels in peace after the female ghost of Stree takes care of the town. However, with Stree's departure, a new ghost is waiting in the wings to disturb the peace and throw the town into utter chaos.

This time, it is a male ghost with a severed head, 'Sarkata', a striking homage to the ghosts of pulp literature. While Stree targets the men in Chanderi, Sarkata is after the women of the town. In fact, Sarkata is the one responsible for Stree becoming a ghost in the first place. The trailer is filled with punchy dialogues, all of which land thanks to the conviction of the cast. Lines like "Sarkata influencer hai, wo apne followers badhana chaahta hai," delivered by Pankaj Tripathi when Rajkummar Rao's character Vicky tells him that Sarkata is changing the mindset of all the men, add to the humour.

When all the tricks in the book fail, the people of Chanderi seek help from Stree and summon her to exact her revenge on Sarkata, who made her a ghost in the first place. Stree 2 is set to debut in theatres on August 15. alongside Vedaa and Khel Khel Mein. 

(With inputs from IANS)