As Stree 2 becomes an all-time blockbuster, Raj and DK reflect on 6 years of Stree success, share behind-the-scenes journey | Hindi Movie News

Filmmakers Raj and DK celebrated the 6-year anniversary of their hit horror-comedy Stree on Saturday. Directed by Amar Kaushik and written and produced by Raj and DK, the film turned out to be one of the most loved films, with its sequel Stree 2 continuing the success by becoming an all-time blockbuster. The cast includes Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, and Pankaj Tripathi.
To mark the occasion, Raj and DK shared a heartfelt note reflecting on the film’s journey.They recalled how the idea for Stree was born during a difficult time in their careers, following the failure of their previous film, A Gentleman. Raj shared that the concept stemmed from childhood memories of eerie messages scribbled on walls in his hometown, warning of a mysterious ‘Stree’ who would come if not warded off by writing on the walls.
“Aug 26, 2017. I watched the rain lashing outside my window. I could see our film, A Gentleman, that released yesterday, wash away… literally. Home Search We knew what was coming! Two back-to-back studio films failed… Typically, this type of situation means the end of a filmmaking career. Explore ►Reels Later that evening with a heavy heart, I walked out in foot deep water to a coffeeshop with my laptop. Took a long hard look at where DK & I started, what we set out to do, and where we were drifting to. We wanted to make original films, unique films, not the packaged kind. We wanted to push genres. We wanted to make each film different from the other. Message So I typed out on a blank page, “O Stree, Kal Aana!” Notificati + Create I dug into one of my lasting childhood visuals-every other wall in my hometown Tirupati, covered with the scribbling, “O Stree, repu raa..” Nobody knew what the story behind that was. All they knew was a strange urban legend that a scary stree will come into your house if you don’t write this. Why? How? What does she want? No one knew.
And I thought, what if she can’t read Telugu? Why is she getting fooled by a silly trick to come tomorrow, again and again? What if she still didn’t care and wanted to come inside? I had let these crazy/silly ideas float in my head for years. Then as I was discussing with DK, it hit us that this can’t just be a silly comedy or a silly horror film. It can be so much more. Thus came the idea of gender reversal-what if men were the ones afraid to go out late at night? What if men had to go through what innumerable women have to deal with every day? Explore ►Reels We had already explored the combination of horror and comedy with Go Goa Gone, but we were looking to delve something more rooted, with a deeper message. Based on the times when as a kid I couldn’t walk alone at night and had to chant Hanuman Chalisa because someone might ‘call my name’ from behind. Many characters and incidents from school days made it into the film: Vicky, Jana,, Rudra bookstore, Shankar Shastri, ‘Friendship’, tailor-shop. We even found the streets with fort walls (Chandragiri) near my hometown in Chanderi. DK & I realised firsthand how a story from a small town in Andhra can easily make sense in a small town in Madhya Pradesh,” read the note.

The note detailed how the filmmakers blended horror and comedy with a deeper message, flipping the usual gender dynamics by making men the ones afraid to go out at night. The script was completed in just three weeks, and the film was shot in the small town of Chanderi on a minimal budget.
“So we dug deep, to dig ourselves out of the hole we were in. We went into hyperdrive and wrote the story day and night. We finished the script in 3 weeks! A little coffeeshop called Potluck in Andheri West became D2R office 🙂 That’s where we met all the crew, all the actors, discovered a great writer-friend at the next table, and discussed endlessly how to start production on this film (like so many filmmakers do at coffeeshops). Ironically as soon as the script was done and the shoot was getting ready, the BMC pulled down that sweet little coffeeshop. Cut to: A crew ready to buy into this silly story was put together. A cast was cajoled into doing this film despite it being nonconforming. A film started getting shot despite there being no precedent for this kind. A super friendly fun shoot happened in the tiniest of the towns, Chanderi, where we stayed in guesthouses and schools, shot all over the town and played Mafia at nights. Many lasting bonds were formed.
And a film was made at the smallest budget possible and dared to go into theatres without a formula, and not following the norms. Search Edits were changed, interval points were invented… But the original core story only got stronger at every step. Explore It was the fastest film we ever made. I guess that is what happens when you have a point to prove, to yourself. On the cusp of the release, we knew something magical was going to happen. Reels ♡ And it happened! Message Aug 31, 2018. A ridiculous story, defying all odds, became a phenomenon. Notificati Glad we went back to our roots. Glad we stuck to the films we want to make.. Glad this was the first Hindi film we produced. Create 3 口 Profile A renewed second innings of D2R Films started, on our terms with our kind of stories and with no compromises. The Family Man, Farzi, Guns & Gulaabs, Cinemabandi, Citadel Honey Bunny, Gulkanda Tales, Rakt Brahmand… all followed.”

Raj and DK expressed their gratitude for the support they received and how Stree marked the beginning of a new chapter for their production company, D2R Films, leading to projects like The Family Man, Farzi, and Guns & Gulaabs. They emphasized the importance of staying true to their vision, even in the face of setbacks, and thanked everyone who believed in their stories.

“As we look back in the middle of multiple productions, a huge D2R family, buzzing writers rooms, producing, directing, creating, backing beautiful stories, on our own terms… it wouldn’t have been possible without that little coffeeshop, the failures, the hardships, the amazing two- decade-old friendships, and the firm belief that even our kind of stories can break mainstream norms I guess every failure is an opportunity to grow. And every heartbreak is a chance to cleanse and recreate. Thank you, wholeheartedly, for everyone who backed us, believed in us and loved our stories! #STREE” the note concluded.