Storyline In the small town of Chanderi, the menfolk live in fear of an evil spirit named "Stree" who ...
Storyline
In the small town of Chanderi, the menfolk
live in fear of an evil spirit named "Stree" who abducts men in the
night. Based on the urban legend of "Nale Ba" that went viral in
Karnataka in the 1990s.
STREE is based on folklore and a myth that has found acceptance in
several states across India. Set in the Madhya Pradesh town of
Chanderi, it tells the story of a bride's wandering spirit who roams the
streets for four days during an annual pooja. She calls out to young,
unsuspecting men, and if they turn back, she takes it as their
acceptance to be with her. Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) is a gifted tailor in
this town and he doesn't believe in this myth.
On the first day of
pooja, a mysterious young girl (Shraddha Kapoor) approaches him to
design her ghagra. She shows interest in him romantically and Vicky
falls for him. Vicky tells his friends Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) and
Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana) about his love interest. Jana is happy for
Vicky but Bittu cautions Vicky to be careful of her. Trouble arises when
Bittu analyses the situation and realises that Vicky's love interest
might be none other than Stree. What happens next forms the rest of the
film.
Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK and Pawan Sony's story is based on
a true phenomenon. They make great use of the plot as it's quite fresh
and they add the necessary elements to make it better. Raj Nidimoru and
Krishna DK's screenplay is very effective and entertaining. The film's
duration is just right at 128 minutes and it keeps the audiences
engaged. Sumit Aroraa's dialogues are hilarious and very witty. Few one
liners are sure to bring the house down.
Amar Kaushik's direction
is commendable, considering that this is his first film. He has handled
the horror as well as dramatic scenes with panache. However for a
horror comedy, the film gets a bit too spooky. Hence, it might be a bit
too much for the family audiences. Secondly it seems he rushed through
the ending. The build up is excellent but then he finishes it in a
jiffy. Also the final scene will confuse a section of audiences and they
might come out of the theatre in daze.
STREE begins on a high
and sets the eerie mood. Immediately then, the entry of Vicky, Bittu and
Jana make things light hearted. The manner in which Vicky and the girl
fall in love is sweet. However the horror sequences are also neatly
inserted in between. The sequence where Narendra (Aakash Dabhade) gets
taken away is quite scary. However the most chilling sequence of the
first half is the pre-interval sequence. Post intermission, the
oscillation between fun and horror continues well. But the interest
drops a bit at this point. Also, the ending has its moments but it's
also underwhelming and confusing.
Rajkummar Rao gets a chance to
dabble in a new genre and he excels thoroughly. He genuinely gives an
earnest performance and is a treat to see him getting spooked,
delivering monologues and behaving madly in love. He is sure to bring
the house down when he loses his cool in front of Jana and Stree. Also
watch out for him in the second half sequence when he's trying to
analyse Stree. He's terrific. Shraddha Kapoor delivers a fine
performance and has a mysterious air about her as per the character's
requirement. In the second half she gets better. Aparshakti Khurrana
gives a great performance and he doesn't get overboard. Same goes for
Abhishek Banerjee. In fact he's superb in the last one hour. Pankaj
Tripathi is hardly there in the first half and he rocks big time in the
second half. Vijay Raaz (Shastri) leaves a mark in the lone sequence.
Flora Saini plays an important part with elan. Atul Srivastava (Vicky's
father) brings the house down in the scene where he talks to Rajkummar
Rao about sex. Nora Fatehi is sizzling in the item number.
Sachin-Jigar's
music is entertaining. 'Darji' is peppy while 'Milegi Milegi' is the
best of the lot but is played during the end credits. 'Kamariya' is
entertaining while 'Nazar Na Lag Jaaye' is okay. 'Aao Kabhi Haveli Pe'
is relegated to the background. Ketan Sodha's background score is
excellent and enhances the eerie quotient significantly. However the
sound quality at some places could have been better.
Amalendu
Chaudhary's cinematography is ideal and sans any vague camerawork that
certain horror films often have in Bollywood. He also has shot the
locales of Chanderi beautifully. Madhusudhan's production design is
authentic. Manohar Verma and Gulzar Amin Khatib's action is nothing
special. Prime Focus' VFX is upto the mark. Hemanti Sarkar's editing is
simple and works well.
On the whole, STREE is a unique concoction
of humour and horror that floors you completely. At the box office,
this entertainer 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!
Initial release: August 31, 2018 (USA)
Screenplay: Krishna D.K., Raj Nidimoru
Music composed by: Sachin–Jigar, Ketan Sodha
Producers: Dinesh Vijan, Krishna D.K., Raj Nidimoru
