2024 the domination of horror: An overview into how the likes of Shaitaan, Munjya and Stree 2 have successfully spooked the audiences bringing in solid numbers

Shaitaan movie image

Munjya movie image

Stree 2 movie image

Unlike 2023 predominantly dominated by action movies with larger-than-life heroes this year has seen the horror genre ruling the roost. Horror stories of different kinds have entertained the viewers proving to be very profitable for the producers. The genre of horror isn’t something new. The banner of Vishesh films at their prime had made movies involving ghosts, the cast always used to be relatively new. Case in point being the first Raaz featuring Bipasha Basu. Noted filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma too has made impactful horror movies like Urmila Matondkar’s Bhoot. Bhoot is rightly considered to be one of Urmila’s most impactful performances till date. The movie even now sends a chill down the viewers spine.

Bhoot is rightly considered to be one of Urmila’s best performances till date

The likes of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Golmaal Again too have elements of spookiness particularly the first one directed by Anees Bazmee. However, the spooky elements here are mixed with slapstick or situational humor. Then you have Rahi Anil Barve’s gripping psychological horror thriller Tumbbad. The horror in this movie comes more from the director’s portrayal of human greed rather than the supernatural entity.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 directed by Anees Bazmee

The horror in Tumbbad comes more from the director’s portrayal of human greed rather than the supernatural entity

Coming to this year’s horror films the first one Shaitaan uses elements of a home invasion thriller where the protagonists in this case the father and mother have to save the children from a highly dangerous tormentor. R Madhavan in a delightfully deranged performance is the expert hypnotist with knowledge of black magic. The daughter Jahnavi played a brilliant Janki Bodiwala is under absolute control, doing everything he says. The storyline of Shaitaan is paper thin but the way Vikas Bahl build an effective atmosphere of dread engrossed the audiences thoroughly. Amit Trivedi’s background music coupled with Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti’s cinematography also made the movie gripping. Unlike most horror movies here thankfully the typical cliches of creaking doors are absent, instead the terror comes from R Madhavan’s sinister plans of wanting to control young women.

R Madhavan in a delightfully deranged performance

Next in the list are Munjya and Stree 2 both from the same production house Maddock. Both these movies feature grotesque demons. In the case of Stree 2 you have a headless creature whose target are young girls with modern outlook. In the case of Munjya the antagonist is a young Brahmin boy, he resorts to black magic to win over a girl named Munni. He also tries to sacrifice the life of his sister, but this only results in self-destruction. He becomes a restless spirit haunting the tree. Both movies have a folklore touch apart from impactful social commentary. Stree 2 like the first one is also set in the small town of Chanderi. Munjya on the other hand is set in the backdrop of a Konkan folklore.

Both Munjya and Stree 2 feature grotesque demons

A strong aspect of Munjya was the characterization of the leading man Bittu played by Abhay Varma. Bittu starts off as someone who is majorly underconfident and definitely not the type who would defeat the evil Munjya. However, we slowly seen him overcoming the inner fears. The profession of Bittu being a hairdresser also added an interesting layer. Sharvari Wagh played Bittu’s friend Bella. Bittu deeply loves Bella, but he never confesses. She is already in a relationship with an English man but isn’t very sure on marrying him. She has major career aspirations regarding Zumba dance.

Bittu starts off as someone who is majorly underconfident and definitely not the type who would defeat the evil Munjya

The interesting aspect here is that though Munjya and Bittu come from the same lineage their attitudes are as different as chalk and cheese. Bittu respects Bella’s career aspirations and never tries to force himself on her in spite of having a close proximity. This particular aspect stood out in the movie. The humor in this movie apart from the interactions between Bittu and Munjya also comes from Baahubali actor S. Sathyaraj he played a baba, but it isn’t the usual intense one. There is a whacky nature to the role which the actor pulled off successfully.

Finally, there is the mega hit Stree 2 which has broken quite a lot of records. Squeals are always a very tricky territory but Aamir Kaushik’s Stree 2 more than lived up to its prerelease buzz. It was a rollicking sequel generating both laughs and scares in equal measure. The movie also had a good blend of social commentary through the characterization of the headless Sarkate. He represents your every sexist leader who are uncomfortable with the thought process of a modern woman.

All these elements came across in a satisfying manner making it a monstrous hit. The trio of Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee and Pankaj Tripathi were in splendid form shouldering the acting department with utmost ease. One of the most hilarious scenes in Stree 2 is the one involving Varun Dhawan’s Bhediya and Abhishek Banerjee as Bhediya aka Bhaskar’s cousin. Varun’s character gets attracted to Shraddha and asks Abhishek how to impress her. In response Abhishek says that you are a Bhediya remain like that and don’t become an animal.

This list is by no means complete as the genre of horror will continue to be explored with different backgrounds. This Diwali there is Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 which will further explore the journey of Kartik Aryan’s Rooh Baba/ Ruhaan Randhawa. Tumbbad 2 has also been announced by Sohum Shah who was both the leading man and also producer for the first part.

Stree 2 Sarkate Ka Aatank: A rollicking sequel with the right mixture of scares and humor

Apart from the horror and scares director Aamir Kaushik also does a fine job in blending impactful social commentary

  • Starcast: Rajkummar Rao, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Pankaj Tripathi, Shraddha Kapoor and others special appearances (Varun Dhawan, Akshay Kumar and Tamanna Bhatia)
  • Director: Aamir Kaushik
  • Writer: Niren Bhatt
  • Producers: Dinesh Vijan and Jyothi Deshpande
  • Production Companies: Maddock Films and Jio Studios
  • Music: Sachin Jigar and Justin Varghese
  • Cinematography: Jishnu Bhattacharjee
  • Running time: 2 hours and 27 minutes

Aamir Kaushik’s Stree 2 is one of those few sequels that matches up to its first part. For those who haven’t seen Stree 1 the plot revolved around a female spirit wreaking havoc in the small town of Chanderi. This female ghost by the name of Stree attacked men at night that too during a particular festival period. She only kidnaps those men who turn around when she calls. Apparently looking into her eyes confirms permission to abduct. There is an underlying satire about how consent doesn’t matter for men. Women even in their non-human form are more evolved. Stree 1 had the right doses of suspense and humor along with a touching origin story. The film also benefitted from the fantastic male cast led by an adorable Rajkummar Rao. Not surprisingly Stree 1 was a major hit.

Stree 2 is one of these few sequels that matches up to the first part

Now you have Stree 2 again set in Chanderi. At the end of Stree 1 the female ghost had left the town, fear has been replaced by respect which was denied to her when alive. Instead of O’ Stree Kal Anna (O Stree, come tomorrow) the new instruction is O Stree Raksha Karna (O Stree, protect us) The mindset of Chanderi people has also undergone a significant change, they have become more liberal with woman marrying outside their caste and having big dreams. However, the peace is short lived thanks to a new demon who abducts girls with modern outlook. His name is Sarkate, a hugely grotesque creature with no head. This Sarkate had burned Stree and her lover alive. Once again, the responsibility of saving Chanderi falls on the shoulders of Vicky (Rajkummar Rao continuing his splendid form). Shraddha Kapoor returns back as the mysterious figure with whom Vicky deeply fell in love. Thankfully the viewers get to know more about her character this time around. Apart from Shraddha Kapoor Vicky gets help from his usual trusted allies Abhishek Banerjee as Jana and Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra. Aparshakti Khurrana as Bittu has as an interesting arc which I will get to later.

Shraddha Kapoor returns back as the mysterious with whom Vicky had fallen in love with

A strong aspect of Stree 2 is how Aamir Kaushik has used the character of Sarkate to explore the patriarchal mindset. Very often we see leaders blaming a women’s mindset for the crimes happening on them. The way Sarkate chooses only those girls who think beyond the traditional boundaries reminds the viewers of the numerous sexist leaders.

There is a hugely poignant moment in Stree 2 when all the Chanderi women break out in unison late into the night, fully aware of the dangers lurking. Stree 2 also touches upon women empowerment briefly while talking about the kidnapped girls. Aamir Kaushik doesn’t go very deep but still these moments are mighty effective.

The humor quotient of Stree 2 is also very strong. Niren Bhatt’s dialogues are filled with punches and often leave the viewers in splits. Abhishek Banerjee as the gullible friend often manipulated by his friends raises many laughs particularly in his interactions with Pankaj Tripathi’s Rudra. The way both of them feed on each other is wonderful to watch. Pankaj Tripathi as the ghost expert continues his great form delivering many laughs. He has also gets a charming romantic subplot with Tamanna Bhatia, it doesn’t last for long but makes for a fun watch.

Aparshakti Khurana as Bittu gets more to do this time around and he does a fantastic job. He is charming as the lover singing a lullaby to his girlfriend. His portrayal of anguish upon his girlfriend being taken away by Sarkate is palpable. At the same time there is a different shade too when Bittu becomes an alpha male as a result of Sarkate’s strong spell. The actor brings out both these shades in a wonderful manner.

Rajkummar Rao as Vicky is spot on in acing the different aspects of his role. Whether it is his lover boy act, or scenes of physical comedy. With this movie he once again proves his ability in jumping genres successfully.

The cameos of Tamanna Bhatia, Varun Dhawan and Akshay Kumar have been smartly integrated. Akshay Kumar plays a lunatic who thinks of himself as Shah Jahan. Akshay’s character is the one who sends a warning letter to Rudra in the beginning. The ending shot suggests that he might be an important part of Stree 3. Tamanna Bhatia sizzles in the special song “Aaj Ki Raat. She adds a lot of glamour with her sexy belly moves. Talking about the songs apart from “Aaj Ki Raat the other two “Aayi nai ” and “Tumhare Hi Rahenga Hum” also make for a good listen and watch. Varun Dhawan as Bhediya gets a dashing entry at a critical juncture. His scene with Abhishek Banerjee deserves a particular mention. Varun’s Bhediya gets attracted to Shraddha and asks him on how to impress her. In response Abhishek Banerjee says that you are Bhediya remain like that and don’t become an animal.

Tamanna Bhatia in Aaj Ki Raat

What drags down Stree 2 much like the first part is Shraddha Kapoor’s character. She has the same set of expressions from Stree 1. The romance between her and Rajkummar feels largely one sided with him doing most of the heavy lifting. The sequences of Sarkate meeting his end also needed to be crisper. The viewers get a feeling of eternity before Sarkate gets defeated.

Keeping aside these small niggles Stree 2 is truly a blockbuster sequel.