Stree Review: A horror comedy the promises jumps-cares and crackling laughter at the same time!

My Verdict: An at once fun and at once terrifying plot, goosebumps and laughter guaranteed at the same time!

3.5/5 stars

The debutante director Amar Kaushik’s STREE is how horror comedies should be. Rajkummar Rao is superb in his dialogue delivery. Every line he mouths makes it more fun, at times over the top but that’s what makes them all the more amusing! The actor plays Vicky who is a ladies’ tailor by profession and he is adept at his work. He is the best craftsman in his area and the neighbouring areas combined. His father played by actor Atul Shrivastava understands his potential and in heart of hearts believes, someday his son will really work wonders when he gets to realise his skills. Besides he is also hiding a big secret from his son, the awareness of which will wreak havoc on the latter.

Vicky who is in his salad days, is busy with the new excitement his raging hormones are pulling him to. Girls, boozing and smoking is what he does when with friends. The young guy has also taken a liking to this strange yet alluring hazel eyed damsel who appears only once during a certain Puja that happens for four days in the hamlet. What’s scary is that during these four days, STREE is on the prowl, hunting men in their youth and devouring their flesh leaving just their clothes behind! When two of Vicky’s friends are taken by Stree, Vicky and Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana) are scared to death and they somehow want to get rid of her and get their friend back from her clutches! Thankfully, with the help of this beautiful “UNNAMED” lass (Shraddha Kapoor) they are able to form a team which can hold up a worthy fight against STREE.

Rajkummar Rao has once again proved that he does have mettle and he is here to stay. Give him any character and any mood, he is adept in portraying every emotion to the T. Shraddha Kapoor did not really get much screen time in the film, but her presence is surely felt.

 There is a spooky air to her, yet her benign appearance and the tranquil beauty that her countenance exudes keeps the mystery about her intact till the very end! Her eyes, her lips, her smile, the flutter of her hair, the twirl of her Lehenga, all contribute together to make her character possess an other-worldly charm! She has no name in the film and all of Vicky’s attempts to know her name proves to be futile!

Pankaj Tripathi plays Rudra, a bookstall owner in the hamlet who knows a lot about Stree and her deadly prowls. He breathes comedy onto the screen with his oneliners and his expressions. The one line that one would take back home is “First time dekha tujhe love ho gaya, second time mein sab ho gaya, Kaha jaa rahi hai hamari Yuva Peedhhii.”

Another very important facet worth mentioning here is the lingo that the actors have used really sounds authentic and a special mention to Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana and Pankaj Tripathi for sounding so natural while mouthing the dialogues with a Chanderi twang.

Vijay Raaz plays the only writer in town who knows everything about the killer STREE and it is he who gives them a solution in riddles indirectly hinting towards the man who can get the small town rid of her. Well, no prizes for guessing it is none other than, our very own VIcky!

Is Vicky really able to get rid of Stree? Who is this Stree? Will she ever leave the Chanderi town? Who is this beautiful girl who doesn’t have a name and just visits the town during the four days of the festival? Why doesn’t she have a name? – Well, the questions are many- You have to watch the film to get the answers!

The soundtrack of the film is a bit too harsh, even the halting of a motorbike is amplified to get a screeching result which makes hearts thump. Well, in a horror movie the soundtrack does play a major role but in this one the same role has been exaggerated with constant shrieks and over the top noises, which make it a little off putting. Having said that the dialogues written by Sumit Arora work magic! They are epic! “Itni sundar stree, stree kaise ho sakti hai?” or the pun with “Night fall – Nighty Fall”, or “BHICKKYY PLEEAAJJJJJJJ”

The music by Ketan Sodha does not really have much to boast of, the screenplay by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. could have been tauter, there are certain aspects in the screenplay which if given a thought just DOESN’T MAKE SENSE! For instance, the forced element of surprise is the ending - Just when you think things are over and done with, the ending volleys so many questions that remain unanswered and when you try to join the dots with a sane mind believing in every bit of implausibility you just witnessed; there is no way the dots can be joined!
The cinematography by Amalendu Chaudhury too is again just an okay job! Having said that, there are certain moments created in the script which are genuinely scary!

All in all a wholesome scary one time watch, go and immerse yourself into the narrative, prepare to be scared and laugh out of your wits at