Stree

<p>In the town of , locals believe in the legend of , the spirit of a woman who abducts men during a four-day annual festival, leaving behind only their clothes. To protect themselves, townsfolk inscribe ( ) 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 . 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 , 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 ( ), prompting her to leave peacefully. Adapted from the opening and closing credits: In November 2017, it was reported that had finalised as the lead actor for his next film, a comedy horror written by . Raj & DK revealed that the urban legend , which means “come tomorrow” in , 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, 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 , directed by . 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. for began on 13 January 2018 in and the first schedule concluded on 30 January 2018. The second shooting schedule took place in in March, chosen by producer 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. 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 and Shraddha Kapoor was shot in in May 2018. Although the promotional song “Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe”, featuring alongside Rao and , was filmed, it ultimately remained as background music in the film. The music for the film has been composed by . The lyrics are written by Vayu except for one song “Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe” which is written by and Jigar Saraiya. The score is composed by Ketan Sodha. The entire soundtrack album, comprising four tracks, was released on 17 August 2018 by . was theatrically released worldwide on 31 August 2018. received positive critical reception. On the website , 79% of 14 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. of gave the film 3.5 stars out of five, stating that “With laughs and scares, delivers an important message.” of also rated it 3.5/5, praising Rao’s acting and the film’s humor. She wrote that “The primary reason why 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. of gave it 3.5 out of 5, stating, ” 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 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 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.” 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. The second installment titled , starring , , , and Paalin Kabak was released on 25 November 2022. The third installment titled , starring , , and was released on 7 June 2024. The sequel and fourth installment titled , starring , , , and was released on 15 August 2024.</p>