# Stree (स्त्री) (2018 film)
**Stree** (स्त्री; Hindi for "woman") is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language horror-comedy film directed by [Amar Kaushik](https://www.edgepedia.org/amar-kaushik), in which a female spirit terrorizes the town of Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh, by abducting men at night and leaving only their clothes behind[1](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Stree_2018) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree). It stars [Rajkummar Rao](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajkummar-rao), Shraddha Kapoor, and [Pankaj Tripathi](https://www.edgepedia.org/pankaj-tripathi), and was written by Raj Nidimoru, Krishna D.K., and Sumit Arora[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree). Released on 31 August 2018, the film became a commercial success and launched producer Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe[1](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Stree_2018) • [3](https://theprint.in/feature/stree-3-to-release-in-2028-amar-kaushik-has-finished-writing-it-producer-dinesh-vijan/3058287/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 31 August 2018, theatrical, Hindi language, CBFC rating U/A[1](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Stree_2018) |
| Director and writers | Amar Kaushik (director); Raj Nidimoru, Krishna D.K., and Sumit Arora (writers)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree) |
| Producers and banners | Dinesh Vijan, Raj Nidimoru, Krishna D.K.; Maddock Films, D2R Films[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree) • [4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3826) |
| Source legend | Based on the urban legend of Nale Ba, which went viral in Karnataka in the 1990s[5](https://filmi.ai/film/stree-2018/) |
| Box office (India) | Total nett gross ₹1,245,650,000 against a ₹240,000,000 budget; verdict Super Hit[4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3826) |
| Critical scores | 75% Tomatometer (16 reviews) and 81% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; 7.5/10 on IMDb[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt8108202/) |
| Franchise | Spawned Stree 2 (2024) and a planned Stree 3 for 2028[3](https://theprint.in/feature/stree-3-to-release-in-2028-amar-kaushik-has-finished-writing-it-producer-dinesh-vijan/3058287/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
The film is set in Chanderi, a small town in [Madhya Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/madhya-pradesh), where residents fear an evil spirit named Stree who abducts men at night[6](https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt8108202/). During an annual festival period, the spirit hunts lone men and leaves behind a pile of the victim's clothes so they can be identified[7](https://qz.com/quartzy/1383793/one-of-indias-first-horror-comedies-has-a-radical-feminist-lesson). The men respond by staying indoors at night, wearing saris and bangles so the ghost mistakes them for women, and going out only when escorted by a female family member[8](https://openthemagazine.com/cinema/women-in-white). Households write the phrase "O Stree kal aana" ("O woman, come tomorrow") on their boundary walls to ward her off; because "tomorrow" never arrives, she keeps returning without being able to act[9](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/monday-masala-how-stree-got-the-balance-of-horror-satire-and-comedy-just-right-1717100-2020-08-31).
The story follows Vicky (Rajkummar Rao), a ladies' tailor, and his friends Bittu ([Aparshakti Khurana](https://www.edgepedia.org/aparshakti-khurana)) and Jana ([Abhishek Banerjee](https://www.edgepedia.org/abhishek-banerjee-actor)). When Jana is abducted, Vicky sets out to find the ghost and save the town, while also falling for a mysterious woman ([Shraddha Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/shraddha-kapoor)) whom he comes to suspect[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-indias-new-hit-film-men--not-women--are-afraid-to-roam-the-streets/2018/09/13/8b1211b4-b5e3-11e8-ae4f-2c1439c96d79_story.html). Pankaj Tripathi plays Rudra, a local scholar who explains the ghost's rules: she calls out a man's name three times, and if he turns around, that counts as consent[7](https://qz.com/quartzy/1383793/one-of-indias-first-horror-comedies-has-a-radical-feminist-lesson).
### Franchise and legacy
Kaushik kept an ambiguous ending and added a bus scene as a deliberate hint toward a sequel, and work on a follow-up began after the film's positive reception[16](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/his-first-film-made-rs-175-crores/20181024.htm). The film kickstarted Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe, which includes Roohi, Bhediya, Munjya, Stree 2, and [Thamma](https://www.edgepedia.org/thamma)[3](https://theprint.in/feature/stree-3-to-release-in-2028-amar-kaushik-has-finished-writing-it-producer-dinesh-vijan/3058287/).
**Stree 2: Sarkate ka Aatank** released in theaters on 15 August 2024 and earned over ₹8 billion (₹800 crore) worldwide[17](https://www.aboutamazon.in/news/entertainment/stree-2-sarkate-ka-aatank-prime-video). In the sequel, the threat reverses again: women go missing, and the culprit is a headless monster called Sarkata rather than Stree[8](https://openthemagazine.com/cinema/women-in-white). In September 2026, producer Dinesh Vijan announced that Amar Kaushik had completed the script for Stree 3, scheduled for release in 2028[3](https://theprint.in/feature/stree-3-to-release-in-2028-amar-kaushik-has-finished-writing-it-producer-dinesh-vijan/3058287/).
## Origins and the Nale Ba legend
The film draws on the urban legend of [Nale Ba](https://www.edgepedia.org/nale-ba) ("come tomorrow"), which went viral in [Karnataka](https://www.edgepedia.org/karnataka) in the 1990s[5](https://filmi.ai/film/stree-2018/). Writer Raj Nidimoru described the germ of the idea: during Shivratri in his hometown of Tirupati, he and Krishna D.K. saw wall texts reading "Stree kal aana" and heard varying accounts of a mad woman, a headless figure, and a baby-stealer. He asked what would happen if the figure targeted men instead, and the writers chose to call her "stree" rather than "chudail" or "pisaach"[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/stree-hindi-movie-writer-raj-nidimoru-interview-5349418/). Nidimoru told The Washington Post that the original wall-writing practice in Tirupati struck him as an example of mob mentality, and that the ghost evolved into one that targeted men so that "the predator becomes the prey"[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-indias-new-hit-film-men--not-women--are-afraid-to-roam-the-streets/2018/09/13/8b1211b4-b5e3-11e8-ae4f-2c1439c96d79_story.html).
## Satire and reception of its themes
The film's central device is a role reversal: the restrictions Indian women face daily, staying indoors at night, moving only with escorts, are imposed on men[9](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/monday-masala-how-stree-got-the-balance-of-horror-satire-and-comedy-just-right-1717100-2020-08-31). Krishna D.K. described it as "more a satire about gender and gender norms," saying the film takes the myth at face value rather than being about superstition[12](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/hindi/2018/Sep/11/stree-is-the-local-rural-version-of-go-goa-gone-raj-nidimoru-and-krishna-dk-1870214.html). Director Amar Kaushik told The Washington Post that the mostly male filmmaking team took a "feminist angle" on the horror genre because of its relevance to Indian society, adding that humor made the argument more acceptable to audiences[10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-indias-new-hit-film-men--not-women--are-afraid-to-roam-the-streets/2018/09/13/8b1211b4-b5e3-11e8-ae4f-2c1439c96d79_story.html).
The film's tagline, Mard ko dard hoga ("Man will feel pain"), frames the reversal directly[7](https://qz.com/quartzy/1383793/one-of-indias-first-horror-comedies-has-a-radical-feminist-lesson). Critics noted the balance it struck: India Today called it one of the few Bollywood films to blend horror-comedy with social satire, while also criticizing its item numbers as out of place in a film that attacks the objectification of women[9](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/monday-masala-how-stree-got-the-balance-of-horror-satire-and-comedy-just-right-1717100-2020-08-31). Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express wrote, "About time Bollywood gave us a feminist ghost"[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree).
## Box office
Stree was a commercial success on a modest budget. Box Office India records a first-day nett of ₹6,62,00,000, a first weekend of ₹31,58,00,000, a total India nett gross of ₹1,24,56,50,000, and a worldwide gross of ₹1,716,800,000 against a budget of ₹24,00,00,000, with a verdict of Super Hit[4](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3826). Sacnilk reports slightly different figures: India net ₹1.298 billion (₹129.83 crore), worldwide ₹1.82 billion (₹182.00 crore), and a budget of ₹300 million (₹30.00 crore), with a Blockbuster verdict[1](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Stree_2018). The film entered the Rs 100-crore club within its first few days, surpassing box office expectations[7](https://qz.com/quartzy/1383793/one-of-indias-first-horror-comedies-has-a-radical-feminist-lesson). A [Council of Europe](https://www.edgepedia.org/council-of-europe) yearbook of 2018 Indian box office ranks Stree ninth among the top Bollywood films by gross in India that year[13](https://rm.coe.int/focus-2019/1680994a74).
## Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 75% Tomatometer from 16 reviews and an 81% Popcornmeter audience score[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree). Anupama Chopra of Film Companion gave it 3.5/5, writing that "with laughs and scares, Stree delivers an important message"; Rahul Desai, also of Film Companion, gave 2.5/5 and criticized its jarring background score and songs[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree). Reviewers praised the dialogue, the ensemble cast, and Rajkummar Rao's comic timing, while several flagged a sagging second half and a rushed ending[14](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/stree/reviews/) • [5](https://filmi.ai/film/stree-2018/). On IMDb the film holds a 7.5/10 rating[6](https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt8108202/).
## Awards
Stree received 12 wins and 31 nominations overall[6](https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt8108202/). At the Zee Cine Awards 2019, [Sumit Arora](https://www.edgepedia.org/sumit-arora) won Best Dialogue and Amar Kaushik won the Jury's Choice Award for Best Debut Director[15](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8108202/awards/). The film won the Screen Award for Best Film, and received Filmfare Award nominations for Best Film, Best Director (Kaushik), and Best Actor (Rao)[15](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8108202/awards/).
## References
1. [Stree (2018) Box Office Collection, Review & Rating, Sacnilk](https://www.sacnilk.com/movie/Stree_2018)
2. [Stree, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stree)
3. [Stree 3 to release in 2028, Amar Kaushik has finished writing it: producer Dinesh Vijan, ThePrint/PTI](https://theprint.in/feature/stree-3-to-release-in-2028-amar-kaushik-has-finished-writing-it-producer-dinesh-vijan/3058287/)
4. [Stree, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=3826)
5. [Stree (2018) review, OTT release date, filmi.ai](https://filmi.ai/film/stree-2018/)
6. [स्त्री (2018), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/hi/title/tt8108202/)
7. [One of India's first horror comedies has a radical feminist lesson, Quartz](https://qz.com/quartzy/1383793/one-of-indias-first-horror-comedies-has-a-radical-feminist-lesson)
8. [Women In White, Open Magazine](https://openthemagazine.com/cinema/women-in-white)
9. [Monday Masala: How Stree got the balance of horror, satire and comedy just right, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/monday-masala-how-stree-got-the-balance-of-horror-satire-and-comedy-just-right-1717100-2020-08-31)
10. [In India's new hit film, men — not women — are afraid to roam the streets, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-indias-new-hit-film-men--not-women--are-afraid-to-roam-the-streets/2018/09/13/8b1211b4-b5e3-11e8-ae4f-2c1439c96d79_story.html)
11. [The reality can be stark: Stree writer-producer Raj Nidimoru, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/stree-hindi-movie-writer-raj-nidimoru-interview-5349418/)
12. ['Stree' is the local, rural version of 'Go Goa Gone': Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/entertainment/hindi/2018/Sep/11/stree-is-the-local-rural-version-of-go-goa-gone-raj-nidimoru-and-krishna-dk-1870214.html)
13. [World Film Market Trend Focus 2019, Council of Europe](https://rm.coe.int/focus-2019/1680994a74)
14. [Stree (2018) Critics Reviews, Bollywood.com](https://www.bollywood.com/movies/stree/reviews/)
15. [Stree (2018) Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8108202/awards/)
16. [Director Amar Kaushik on Stree, Rediff.com](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/his-first-film-made-rs-175-crores/20181024.htm)
17. [Stree 2: Sarkate ka Aatank is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video, About Amazon India](https://www.aboutamazon.in/news/entertainment/stree-2-sarkate-ka-aatank-prime-video)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Horror and slasher series film entries*
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