Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Many local artistes have played roles in Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor starrer movie, Stree 2, which has become the second-highest grosser of 2024 and the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024. The film released in theatre on Independence Day and which is a sequel to movie Stree released in 2018, is a horror-comedy, which makes a statement against patriarchy.
The major part of the film was shot in historical town of Chanderi in the state. In fact, the village in which the film’s story unfolds is also called Chanderi. It was also shot in Bhopal, Narsinghpur and Sehore. Swastika Chakraborty who is associated with theatre for 41 years, is in the role of a neighbour of the film’s protagonist Vicky (Rajkumar Rao) in Stree 2.
She spent nine days in Chanderi in November-December last year, shooting for the film. In a particular scene, a neighbour of Vicky’s had to plead with him to get the village rid of supernatural horror. The voice and the face had to show both helplessness and determination. A senior actor from Mumbai failed to enact it properly.
“Then at Rajkumar Rao’s insistence, I was assigned the role. I did it in one take and everyone clapped,” she said. Swastika said that shooting for the film was a wonderful experience. After the release of the film, she received congratulatory messages from her acquaintances from India and abroad, she said. Ajay Pal who has been doing theatre for 20 years, joined the shooting for two days. In one of the opening scenes of the film, as a postman, he brings the letter carrying an ominous warning for village and hands it over to Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi).
Eleven-year-old Basit Ali has played the role of Vicky (Rajkumar Rao) as a child. “Rajkumar Rao lovingly guided me. He told me what to do and how to do,” said Basit who wants to film actor like Shah Rukh Khan. “It is great to see myself on the screen,” said 11-year-old Shikhar Sinha who is in the role of Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi) as a child.
