Stree (“Woman”) is a 2018 Indian Hindi comedy horror film directed by Amar Kaushik from a screenplay by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. It is based on the Indian urban legend Nale Ba, about a spirit who knocks on people’s doors at night.
The movie stars Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurrana and Abhishek Banerjee. It was produced by Dinesh Vijan and Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.under the banner of Maddock Films in association with D2RFilms. A sequel, Stree 2, has already been announced.
Plot:
The residents of a town named Chanderi believe in the myth of the spirit of an angry woman referred to as “Stree”, who stalks men during the four days of a Puja festival each year. The men suddenly disappear with only their clothes left behind.
In order to protect the residents, the sentence “O Stree Kal Aana” which means “Hey Lady, Come Tomorrow” is written beside all the entrances of the houses. The men are advised to not roam after 10 pm at night alone during the festive season…
Reviews:
“Kaushik takes their smart script and runs with it. He seamlessly blends horror tropes – the point of view shot, jump scares, the end twist – with droll humor. The dialogue by Sumit Arora is consistently first-rate […] With laughs and scares, Stree delivers an important message.” Anupama Chopra, Film Companion
“I wish the first half of Stree made me laugh more often, and I wish the second half — which is outrageously quirky — was plotted more cleverly. The film hurtles toward a messy climax that feels like a cop-out, because of cheesy predictability…” Raja Sen, Hindustan Times
“This is an experimental comedy, that creates an eerie atmosphere and it manages to be funny and scary at the same time. Writers Raj and DK (who have directed films like Go Goa Gone, 99 and Shor in the City) bring in their trademark humour. The film has its absurdities, it also has its moments but the final act lets it down.” Rachit Gupta, Times of India
