Stree 2 (2024) OTT Release: Amazon Prime Video Date & Cast

Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank brings back the people of Chanderi, who must face a headless spirit called Sarkata. It is the fourth film in the Maddock horror-comedy universe.

Release date and status

Stree 2 released on 15 August 2024. Release markets: India (theatrical), worldwide. Language: Hindi.

• 30 August 2024 – Originally scheduled: Brought forward
• 15 August 2024 – Released: Independence Day release

OTT release

The film began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 10 October 2024.

Cast and crew

• Director: Amar Kaushik
• Writer: Niren Bhatt
• Music: Sachin–Jigar, Justin Varghese
• Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Tamannaah Bhatia

Production history

Amar Kaushik first spoke of a sequel after Stree (2018) became a hit. Raj & DK, who wrote and co-produced the original, later left after a dispute with producer Dinesh Vijan over the franchise rights, though they are still credited for the characters. Dinesh Vijan and Jyoti Deshpande officially announced the film in April 2023, with Niren Bhatt, writer of Bhediya and Munjya, taking over the script. It is the fourth film in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe.

Filming began in Chanderi on 10 July 2023, with schedules adjusted around Pankaj Tripathi's work on Main Atal Hoon. Later schedules covered Madhya Pradesh and Indore (November–December 2023), a Tamannaah Bhatia dance number in Bihar, an old fort in Bhopal (January 2024), and Varun Dhawan's Bhediya cameo at a Mumbai studio in February 2024. Jishnu Bhattacharjee replaced Amalendu Chaudhary as cinematographer, and Hemanti Sarkar returned as editor.

Trailer and music

The teaser first played in cinemas after the end credits of Munjya on 14 June 2024 and was released online on 25 June. The trailer followed on 18 July 2024 and drew more than 10 million views across platforms within 24 hours. Sachin–Jigar composed the songs to lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya, and Justin Varghese composed the background score. Saregama released all four songs ("Aaj Ki Raat", "Khoobsurat", "Aayi Nai" and "Tumhare Hi Rahenge Hum") as singles. Madhubanti Bagchi won the Filmfare award for Best Female Playback Singer for "Aaj Ki Raat".

Certification and runtime

The runtime is 143 minutes. The CBFC ordered no visual cuts but asked for two audio changes, removing a celebrity's name and muting the name of a national monument, before granting a U/A certificate. According to Wikipedia, an improvised scene in which Rajkummar Rao sings "Calm Down" cost the producers ₹25 lakh in royalties.

Box office

Originally set for 30 August 2024, the film was moved up to Independence Day, with nearly 3,000 paid previews the night before. Those previews earned ₹9.40 crore, a Hindi-film record at the time, later broken by Dhurandhar: The Revenge. It opened on 15 August alongside Vedaa and Khel Khel Mein with ₹64.80 crore, then the second-biggest Hindi opening after Jawan. It crossed ₹100 crore worldwide on day two and ₹400 crore in its first week, and set a record for fifth-week earnings (₹16 crore). As of 10 October 2024, it had grossed ₹739.40 crore in India and ₹134.30 crore overseas, about ₹875 crore worldwide. That made it the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024 and the third highest-grossing Indian film of that year.

Critical reception

Indian critics were largely positive about the mix of horror and comedy, the performances and the dialogue, though some felt the sequel offered little new; Rotten Tomatoes listed 57% of 14 critics' reviews as positive (average 6.1/10). Bollywood Hungama (4.5/5) called it the birth of a successful franchise, and Simran Khan of Times Now (4/5) singled out Rajkummar Rao while noting a predictable climax. The film received 14 nominations at the 70th Filmfare Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress.