Stree 2, starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao in key roles, the film has found itself embroiled in an alleged plagiarism controversy. After the makers dropped the poster for Amar Kaushik's highly anticipated sequel, Internet users have been comparing it to the poster of Stranger Things 2, noting striking similarities between the two. Social media users have been quick to point out that the Stree 2 poster bears a close resemblance to the Stranger Things 2 poster, particularly in terms of colour scheme, layout and overall design elements. Some fans have even gone so far as to call it a "direct lift" from the popular Netflix series.
An X user wrote, "The Stree 2 poster seems to have borrowed heavily from Stranger Things 2." Another user questioned, "Is this a direct copy?" while another commented, "Why does this look so inspired by Stranger Things 2?" A comment read, "Copy or Coincidence? What is it? Looks more like a copy." Another one commented, "Same Same ... But Different. Guts"
Some fans have also defended the Stree 2 poster, arguing that while the colour palette may be similar, there are notable differences in the background and the inclusion of specific film references. Others have pointed out that given the supernatural themes shared by both Stree 2 and Stranger Things 2, some overlap in design elements is to be expected. A user on X mentioned, "Even if the colour scheme is similar, the background in Stree 2 is different, and it has its own set of film references." Another fan added, "It's just a tribute to the supernatural genre, not necessarily a copy."
Stree 2 is the sequel to 2018 hit Stree and marks the fifth installment in the Maddock Supernatural Universe. On the other hand, Stranger Things is the second season of Netflix's popular coming-of-age series, which was released in 2017.
The film is set to hit theatres on August 15, where it will face stiff competition from Akshay Kumar's Khel Khel Mein and John Abraham's Vedaa. Despite this, Stree 2 is leading in the box office race, having sold over 100,000 tickets within 48 hours of advance bookings opening.
The ensemble cast of Stree 2 includes Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana and Sunita Rajwar. Additionally, actors Tamannaah Bhatia and Varun Dhawan are set to make special cameo appearances in the film.