Opinion | Stree 2, And Why 'Simple Feminism' Is Enough Sometimes

It is not unusual for a writer, filmmaker, or even a stand-up comedian to hide behind comedy to make a social argument more palatable. Against that, Stree 2's biggest achievement is perhaps not taking that refuge. The movie borrows liberally from both myth and history to give it verisimilitude, but its singular and direct attack on patriarchy is what sets it apart in the horror-comedy genre. 

Let's loosely recap the plot. The quintessentially filmy small town of Chanderi has been peaceful since the time the local hero, Vicky (played by Rajkummar Rao), ended the terror reign of Stree. Men can now go out at night freely. Women - though only single women mostly, as married ones lament their lack of freedom later - are also somehow reaping the benefits. They have become more modern, are taking Karate classes, learning various things, and running off to bigger cities. Our second hero, Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), now has a girlfriend, whom he serenades with a blatant copy of the song 'Soft Kitty' from The Big Bang Theory. And Jana, after his stint with 'Bhediya' - which shares a universe with Stree - is preparing for civil services examinations in Delhi.

However, this peace is short-lived. Chaos envelops Chanderi again when Bittu's girlfriend, Chitti (Anya Singh), is abducted by the monster 'Sarkata' (tr. 'the headless one'), the villain of the film. Nobody knows how she disappeared.