| What have we learnt from Stree 2? Script is king, script is king, script is king For the past year and a half, we have endlessly talked about how the formula for making a massy entertainer has shifted in the post-pandemic era. From Jawan and Pathaan to Gadar 2 and Animal, every successful big-screen Bollywood film in this period has had three things in common: big stars, big stars and big stars. And you know who the big star of Stree 2, which has minted close to ₹400 crore in the first week on the global box office, is? It’s the script (yes, all of you Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao fans warring over who deserves the credit for the film’s success, it’s the script). By drawing from another folk tale and weaving in relatable pop culture references, like Aparshakti Khurana’s character singing "Warm Kitty, Soft Kitty" from The Big Bang Theory, this product speaks directly to the audience. It’s a refreshing change from the usual fare, reminding us that a well-crafted story doesn’t need gimmicks to succeed. We saw similar things happen with cult favourites of the past decade or so, right from Jolly LLB and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! to Vicky Donor and Bareilly Ki Barfi, among others. It’s what happened with Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and Hera Pheri, too — these were all genre-defining, clutter-breaking pioneers of storytelling that have stood the test of time. And when this happens, it becomes easier and more effective to pass on messages like smashing the patriarchy, which is something the Stree franchise has done exceedingly well. The other thing it has aced is casting, without any of the names you would usually associate with a megastar. Just when Mr Ahluwalia in my team had finished conducting a detailed cost evaluation of his ancestral property in Moga, Karnal and Sri Ganganagar (to be able to afford Suhana Khan for his mother’s biopic a few years down the line) — Stree 2 has shown that a film can work at the box office even sans big stars.  You might disagree and say that it does have proven performers and names that resonate with the beating heart of India. Rajkummar and Pankaj have a loyal legion of fans whose number updates faster than India’s badhti aabaadi. Shraddha Kapoor’s followers on Instagram outnumber even PM Modi’s. But the success of this film and the role these performers have played in it, show that talent and the right fit for a role matter more than star power, and at a time when production costs are pinching the industry rather bad, the example of films like Stree 2 widen the talent pool and help curb the wasteful culture that blind star worship leaves in its wake. Be that as it may, the charm of watching Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt and other beloved big-screen stars is here to stay. All I’m saying is — I’m happy with the problem of plenty we have when it comes to ideas for making a film work. The success of Stree 2 should be a wake-up call for filmmakers for whom the script has fallen by the wayside. It’s time to focus on strong scripts, thoughtful casting and stories that resonate with the audience. | 
