Bollywood filmmakers Hansal Mehta has reacted to the box office success of Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao's Stree 2. Directed by Amar Kaushik, the horror-comedy hit the big screens on August 15 and it collected over Rs 54 crore in India on the very first day. The worldwide collection of the film stands at 76.5 crore.
Reacting to the film's success, Mehta asked everyone not to 'trivialise' it by attributing it to only one star.
In a long post on X, the filmmaker, who has frequently collaborated with Rajkummar in the past, wrote, "When you celebrate the success of Stree 2 remember that it goes beyond the narrow star driven calculations that abound in the industry. Don’t trivialise it’s success by attributing it to one star. This is a talent vehicle, studded with exceptional writing, directorial and histrionic talent."
The veteran director added, "It is a triumph for Rajkummar who we love because he is such a superlative actor. It is a triumph for Amar Kaushik because of his command over the medium and his ability to expertly craft a script into meaningful entertainment for the masses. It is a triumph for Niren Bhatt’s writing - from Taarak Mehta to Bala to Bhediya to Munjya, the man has consistently delivered. It is a triumph for an ensemble that is as much a principal lead as Raj and Shraddha. It is a triumph for Indian mainstream cinema. Finally real talent wins."
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Mehta concluded his post by mentioning, "Trade experts and often many critics will still make reductive observations - remember they are no experts. Just people who thrive on oversimplifying talent, story, success and failure. LONG POST OVER AND OUT."
Stree 2 Day 1 box office collection
Stree 2 released six years after the original film, Stree, and on the very first day, it broke several box office records. It surpassed the record set by Bollywood's previous biggest Independence Day release, Gadar 2, which had held the top spot for 2023.
The film opened to an impressive Rs 54.35 crore on its first day. This performance not only sets a new benchmark but also eclipses the Rs 40 crore debut of Gadar 2, previously the biggest Independence Day release.
Meanwhile, Stree 2, also starring Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Tripathi and Aparshakti Khurrana, has been generating buzz not just for its storyline but also for some surprising cameos.
The film has a special cameo by Tamannaah Bhatia and Akshay Kumar. While the makers have not yet clarified if Akshay will headline a full-fledged horror comedy film in the Maddock universe, fans have already begun demanding it after his cameo in Stree 2.
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