Amar Kaushik directed Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank (2024), which picks up where Stree (2018) left off.

This sequel mixes horror, comedy, and social issues about patriarchy and independent women with stories from folklore.

Rajkummar Rao plays Vicky, Shraddha Kapoor plays the mysterious woman, Pankaj Tripathi plays Rudra Bhaiya, Abhishek Banerjee plays Bittu, and Aparshakti Khurana plays Jana.

The movie is 149 minutes long. Varun Dhawan, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Akshay Kumar all make brief appearances.

The movie adds to the supernatural lore of Chanderi, giving it bigger scares, funnier moments, and a way for the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe to connect with other movies.

A Quick Summary of Stree (2018)

Vicky falls for a mysterious woman in the first movie. She helps him and his friends defeat the ghost Stree, who kidnaps men during festivals.

Stree was a courtesan who was wronged by the rules of men. At the end of the movie, Vicky cuts Stree’s magical braid, which gives her power, and the woman mysteriously ties it to her hair before disappearing.

This twist that wasn’t resolved made people want to see the next movie.

Act 1: The Peaceful State of Chanderi

Chanderi is happy that Stree lost in the sequel. The streets are busy, and instead of “O Stree, Kal Aana,” there are murals.

Vicky runs a successful tailoring business. He still misses the love of his life. Bittu is obsessed with Bollywood dances, Rudra comes up with strange theories, and Jana has hallucinations from the first time he met Stree.

Things go wrong when a new danger shows up: Sarkata, the Headless One. He goes after women who wear jeans, use cell phones, or break the rules.

Sarkata tricks people into thinking they see headless men, then pulls them into another dimension.

At a party, his first victim is a college girl. Rudra gets a warning: “Acchi ladkiyan ghar par hi rahe,” which sounds like patriarchal oppression.

Vicky meets up with the mysterious woman again, who is now known as “She.” She tells us how Sarkata is connected to Stree’s past.

The gang looks into the haunted Kati Ghati, which is an old landmark in Chanderi. They find pieces of the Chanderi Puran that show where Sarkata came from.

Act 2: The story of Sarkata’s past

Flashbacks show Chanderi’s bad past. Chandrabhan (Sarkata’s human form) ruled the town as a man-hater hundreds of years ago.

He wanted Stree, a talented dancer who wanted to be free. Chandrabhan killed her and her husband when she said no, and he burned them alive in front of their daughter.

Stree came back as a ghost and killed Chandrabhan and his friends, burying Sarkata’s soul in the ground.

Stree’s power has weakened, and Sarkata has come back to punish women who are making progress. He uses hypnosis to make men follow curfews, shave women’s heads, and keep them in his limbo.

Jana’s visions show Sarkata’s other Chanderi dimension, which is full of women who have been kidnapped.

“She” admits that she is Stree’s daughter. Every year, she comes back to free her mother’s spirit and face Sarkata.

By combining Stree’s braid with her own, she gets ghostly powers that explain what she can do. This makes her relationship with Vicky more emotional, but her mission makes things tense.

The funny parts make the scary parts less scary. Bittu tries to get rid of Sarkata by dancing, Rudra messes up rituals, and Vicky has trouble being a hero. One memorable scene shows a village fair turning into chaos, mixing slapstick with scares.

Act 3: The Last Fight

Vicky attacks Sarkata’s lair with a magical dagger from She. Sarkata comes back to life, and his heads make poisonous illusions.

A cameo by Akshay Kumar as a crazy descendant of Chandrabhan shows that the only way to beat him is with a “half-human, half-something” being.

She and Vicky become one, making a supercharged hybrid. Stree shows up through a blood ritual to end the fight. The door to Sarkata’s dimension opens, and Chanderi’s psychedelic images come through.

Bhediya (Varun Dhawan) helps the heroes, and Tamannaah shows up as a ghostly distraction. Vicky cuts Sarkata’s floating head in half, and Stree cuts off his body. Women are free, and their heads are still on.

She gives up her powers to close the portal, which leaves Vicky with some energy. She gets her revenge and then disappears, leaving him heartbroken.

Ending and Scenes After the Credits

Chanderi gets better. Women take back public places, and Vicky accepts his half-ghost powers. There is a statue in his honor, but there are still whispers of new threats.

In the first post-credit scene, Rudra finds a map in the Chanderi Puran that hints at a “Mahayudh” among spirits, which is a tease for Stree 3.

In the second post-credit scene, Bhediya hints at a love triangle between She and Vicky, which sets up future crossovers.

The movie makes it clear that ghosts aren’t the real bad guys; patriarchy is. Sarkata’s loss is a sign of progress and leaves the door open for more stories.

Why It Works and Themes

Feminist Point of View: Sarkata is a bad example of masculinity that hurts modern women, while Stree and She show strong femininity.

A mix of horror and comedy: scary things like headless ghosts and Bittu’s failed dances.

Universe Expansion: Cameos like Bhediya connect the story to a bigger Maddock universe without feeling forced.

What People Thought and Box Office

Stree 2 made more than ₹800 crore around the world, setting records for Hindi horror-comedies.

It came in at number ten in the US with $2.57 million. Critics liked Niren Bhatt’s script, the actors’ performances, and how well they worked together. Fans said that the braid merge was a satisfying end.

Some people don’t like the soundtrack as much as in part 1, the flashy VFX, and the way mental health is shown.

People on Reddit talk about plot points like “She’s delayed revenge.”

The buzz is about the upcoming Maddock movie Thamma, and fans are looking forward to Stree 3.

At the 70th Filmfare Awards, the movie was nominated for Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress.