Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor's horror-comedy Stree 2 has made a remarkable mark at the box office, crossing the ₹500 crore mark globally within just 10 days of its release. In a recent interview with News18, Rajkummar Rao expressed his delight over the film's unexpected success, admitting that he hadn't anticipated such overwhelming numbers for what he described as a "content-driven film."
Rajkummar Rao on Stree 2 success
He said, "We were sure that the film would get lot of love because of the love that Stree 1 got. There’s a big fan-following for Stree, including me. I am a huge fan of Stree myself. But these numbers are way above our expectations. We are glad and super elated. There’s a lot of gratitude that this is happening with a film like Stree, because it is content-driven film.”
Rajkummar added, “There’s a lot of gratitude. God has been really kind. I have got a lot of love from the audience and they have accepted me for who I am. I have come from nowhere. I come from a very humble beginning. I didn’t grow up with money around me. I am one of their [audience’s] own. A lot of messages I get say that it feels like a personal victory, which is overwhelming.”
Rajkummar Rao on his Bollywood journey
Rajkummar Rao reflected on his challenging journey in the film industry, sharing that it "wasn't easy; it was tough." He opened up about his early days in theatre in Delhi, where he sometimes lacked the money to even afford state transport, leading him to "cycle 70km up and down." After moving to Mumbai following his time at FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), Rajkummar faced further struggles "to survive" in the "expensive city," as he didn’t know anyone or where to begin.
About Stree 2
'Stree 2', directed by Amar Kaushik, reunites the original cast of Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Tripathi, and Aparshakti Khurana from the 2018 hit 'Stree'. On Sunday, the makers, Maddock Films, announced that the film, released on Independence Day 2024, has grossed over ₹500 crore worldwide in just 10 days. The film's total global earnings stand at ₹505 crore, with ₹426 crore from India and ₹78.5 crore from overseas.
While the first 'Stree' film centered on a female ghost wronged in her mortal life, 'Stree 2' introduces a new antagonist, a headless villain named Sarkata, who has a connection to the original character. The sequel follows Sarkata as he targets women with strong, independent voices. In one pivotal scene, Sarkata destroys the statue of Stree, the guardian of Chanderi, signaling the start of his reign.
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