Amar Kaushik’s Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank, penned by Niren Bhatt, is the fifth instalment in the Maddock Supernatural Universe and is a sequel to Stree (2018) which carved a niche for itself in the Indian horror-comedy genre.
The film is a riot, with characters who deliver punchlines perfectly that you’ll find yourself laughing out loud and instantly falling in love with them, especially when Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra speaks his dialogues that are impeccably written.
The way the film ties into the Maddock Supernatural Universe is impressive, connecting Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya. Rajkummar Rao and Abhishek Banerjee’s portrayal of naive, small-town buffoons act is endearing which secures their special place in viewers’ minds.
Stree 2 continues the story of the first film, Stree, where a vengeful spirit, Stree, attacks men in the village of Chanderi. Stree was wronged by a man, so she made it her mission to ensure that men paid for their mistakes, and women were granted all the freedom they deserved.
One day, Vicky, the town’s saviour, decides to cut her braid, where all her power lies and resolves to rectify the injustice by apologizing. He successfully defeats Stree with his love and understanding, and she disappears.
That’s when this transition ensues:
Funny how women had this freedom and they used that chance for their betterment in terms of making their own identity, getting educated, having a career and even leaving the comfort of home to move to bigger cities and pursue their dreams. Wonder how men would use such an opportunity? Oh, but they always had it. Didn’t they?!
In Stree 2, a male spirit named Sarkata (headless), with his misogynistic values, attacks “modern” women and drags them off to some hidden place that resembles the inside of Mount Doom.
Despite a clear warning, our heroes decide to be oblivious and engrossed in their potential girlfriends. It’s only when Bittu’s (Aparshakti Khurana) potential girlfriend, or as Vicky (Rajkumar Rao) says, “step-girlfriend,” Chitti (Anya Singh), gets abducted from her house in the middle of the night, they get seriously involved. And on the same day, Stree (Shraddha Kapoor), who had mysteriously disappeared for the last five years, returns to Chanderi.
The team of Vicky, Bittu, and Rudra is back together, but wait, something is missing. They waste no time in retrieving Jana from Delhi and dragging him to Chanderi. As fear paralyzes Chanderi, the town is thrust back into a dark age where women are confined and expected to obey.
While the movie gives the audience those moments for loud laughs and jump scares, the unnecessary cameos annoy as it seem too forced for the sake of the franchise rather than the film itself. It creates confusion and distractions from the actual point of the film.
Undoubtedly there is enough to admire in the first half of the movie, but the later part has kept a spectrum of its audience disappointed, women.
And like watching Sarkata abduct women one by one simply because they were “modern” wasn’t enough, you see the “saviours” wasting time and claiming ownership over the women they loved (“Humari nahi meri”) while real women were in danger, especially in the wake of recent events in Kolkata.
However, given the prevalence of crimes against women in our country, there might not be an ideal time to watch such a film. At least, the lack of graphic violence in the movie was somewhat relieving.
The film’s genre is fiction but there’s a limit to how much disbelief the audience can suspend. As the level of unbelievability increases, it becomes amusing, and even the audience may grow tired of accepting it at face value.
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So, everything that happens in that Mount Doom-like space, where rock formations are upside down and a river of molten lava flows around, becomes increasingly difficult to believe. In this enclosure, numerous young women in white, with shaved heads, are held captive by Sarkata, the headless man who seeks more than just his pound of flesh.
This Sarkata is the ancestor of Chanderi. While he initially appears scary (in the first scene) when his face fragments like a hydra, he doesn’t frighten you at all, which is disappointing. What’s more disappointing is how the film touches on several metaphors (which is good, right?) but abandons them halfway through, as if they weren’t important at all.
Is this a social commentary on the existence of Sarkata-like men around us? Or is it suggesting that we’ll always need a man to help us? (the scene where a group of women gather to ask Vicky to save them)
PS: Whoever made Vicky wear no-excuse t-shirt where he’s constantly giving excuses is a genius.
It also raises questions about whether Vicky is the perfect saviour here (he doesn’t seem to have the same special connection with Sarkata that he had with Stree). Or this is simply an attempt to prevent Shraddha from taking the lead, even though her name is in the title of the film?
Anyway, her character is confusing! As she has enough power to make her and another person one but not to stand against that one person, who wronged her mother?! (like make it make sense please), Yes, shraddha is the original Stree’s daughter.
That scene in the end where the women march to break the locks of the door feels like compensation as the filmmaker did not give that a proper resolution too.
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One thing that might make you watch the movie is the fact that even with the armour and attire of a saviour, he ultimately passes the baton to the woman (Stree from the first movie) to defeat Sarkata.
Also, that scene from Asylum was offensive and careless on the part of the filmmakers. It was also gutsy (sarcastic) to cast an A-list Bollywood actor in such a bizarre scenario.
One thing that can be your reason to go to the theatre can be Tamanna Bhatia, her electrifying performance in the “Aaj Ki Raat” dance number from the movie is a sight to behold. Her graceful movements, combined with her captivating expressions, perfectly complement the song’s energetic and sensual vibe.
While a spectrum of audiences compared her to Nora Fatehi’s Kamariya song from the first movie, Despite Tamanna’s voluptuous style, she seamlessly blends traditional Indian elements with contemporary choreography, creating a visually stunning spectacle that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
It won’t make any difference if you leave the theatre after the first credits appear if you’re only there for the movie. However, if you’re a franchise fan, stay in your seat, and you’ll have to endure a credit roll song.
If you have lower expectations, you might enjoy the film. Or perhaps, if they hadn’t shied away from breaking the mould and aimed for something more original, it would have been better.
Authored by Priyanshi Kharwade, a 3rd year B.Voc. Media and Communication student at Fergusson.
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