Stree; hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

A horror comedy about a female spirit who visits the Chanderi village in Madhya Pradesh every year seeking revenge on the menfolk!

Talkietive Review brings you the 5 Good Things to watch out for, in the film.

1.Woman-power: Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, writers of the film have summed up the idea of the movie in a telling tagline— "Mard Ko Dard Hoga," subverting the idea of men protecting women. This time the tables have turned and one gets to see men running scared and women acting as the protective shields to them. The idea of the story is borrowed from the folklore which prevails in various parts of India including Karnataka where the villagers painted on the walls outside their houses— 'O Stree Nale Ba'(O woman come tomorrow). Or even in Rajasthan. Intrigued by the village folklore, the writers were excited about the idea of women as powerful— the protectors instead of being protected.

2. Write Effect: The screenplay by the duo— Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK and dialogues by Sumit Arora are pack a punch. The style is smart and witty - often taking potshots at social hypocrisy vis a vis women and reversing the roles. Among the scenes that sparkle is one where Pankaj Tripathi explains that Stree , never forces herself on anyone, unlike Purush (man). When quizzed about how she knows all details about all men in the vicinity, he answers that she has the Aadhar link for everyone. Such gems are aplenty, making Stree a film that stretches the scope of comedy in Hindi films, well beyond the mindless humour.

3. A Good Start : Newbie Amar Kaushik makes an impressive debut with Stree and delivers on the promise of a horror comedy; a very difficult genre to crack. Kaushik strikes the right balance between horror and comedy; never striking a false note.

4. Producer's Point: Producer Dinesh Vijan and Sharada Karki from Maddock Films deserve a shoutout for spotting and backing a great idea. Horror comedy is a genre that has not found great success in India and producers putting their might and resources behind such experiments is a step in the right direction.

5. Ensemble Cast: Actor Rajkummar Rao has built a steady following on the back of some impressive work as an actor and in Stree, he is impressive. He transforms into Vicky, the intrepid tailor who is the local Manish Malhotra with consummate ease. Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra, a scholar with extensive knowledge about the legend of 'stree' is always a delightful watch as is Aparshakti Khurana as Vicky's friend, Bittu. Shraddha Kapoor, the only female actor of consequence in the film is credible and suitable for the part.

This review originally appeared on www.talkietive.in