Opinion | Stree 2, And Why 'Simple Feminism' Is Enough Sometimes

It is not unusual for a writer, filmmaker, or even a stand-up comedian to hide behind comedy to make a social argument more palatable. Against that, Stree 2's biggest achievement is perhaps not taking that refuge. The movie borrows liberally from both myth and history to give it verisimilitude, but its singular and direct attack on patriarchy is what sets it apart in the horror-comedy genre. 

Let's loosely recap the plot. The quintessentially filmy small town of Chanderi has been peaceful since the time the local hero, Vicky (played by Rajkummar Rao), ended the terror reign of Stree. Men can now go out at night freely. Women - though only single women mostly, as married ones lament their lack of freedom later - are also somehow reaping the benefits. They have become more modern, are taking Karate classes, learning various things, and running off to bigger cities. Our second hero, Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), now has a girlfriend, whom he serenades with a blatant copy of the song 'Soft Kitty' from The Big Bang Theory. And Jana, after his stint with 'Bhediya' - which shares a universe with Stree - is preparing for civil services examinations in Delhi.

However, this peace is short-lived. Chaos envelops Chanderi again when Bittu's girlfriend, Chitti (Anya Singh), is abducted by the monster 'Sarkata' (tr. 'the headless one'), the villain of the film. Nobody knows how she disappeared.

Sarkata is a hardcore patriarch from a hundred years ago, whose views are eerily similar to the many alpha male podcasters/influencers populating the internet today. He almost becomes a vehicle for the film's clear, unambiguous stand against patriarchy. Here's how.

When Women Start Disappearing

Let's start with the movie's opening. A woman wearing shorts and sneakers walks out of a house to smoke a cigarette. Too preoccupied with her phone to notice in time the monster stalking her, she is abducted by Sarkata and carried off into a void, only a half-smoked cigarette left behind.

For a while, the town is flush with rumours that its young women are running away to big cities for a better life. Somehow, this mass exodus of young women doesn't raise much alarm in Chanderi. Everyone just assumes that of course, these young, ambitious, 'modern' women would elope in the middle of the night. In stark contrast, the vanishing men in the first part had caused such panic across the town that ingenious methods were devised to keep the men safe. 

Why did no one try to investigate the disappearance of the women? Is it a subtle hint that women's safety is not taken seriously by society? Or is it a play on the notion that 'modern' women are 'unreliable' and run away, as many 'alpha male' influencers seem to tell their often young and impressionable male fans? 

It is not until Vicky and Bittu witness and then probe the apparent vanishing of Chitti that the townsfolk start connecting the dots and realise that an evil monster has replaced the 'Stree' they drove away in the first movie. 

Sarkata, The Epitome of Patriarchy

When Pankaj Tripathi's 'Rudra Bhaiyya' gathers the townsfolk to warn them of the new evil, he says: "Wo Pitru hai, apni satta baithane aya hai" (He is a patriarch, he has come to establish patriarchy). A woman then reminds him how the female spirit would leave the men alone if requested thus, "O Stree Kal Aana' (O Woman, please come tomorrow). To this, Rudra Bhaiyya explains that 'Stree' was a female spirit, and hence accepted these requests. Sarkata, on the other hand, is a deeply patriarchal man. Consent does not matter to him. 

Additionally, in the old 'veda' of Chanderi, they get a glimpse of Sarkata's thinking. Here are two hints (direct translations of the film's dialogues):

• Women belong in the kitchen. Their job is to cook, clean, and care for the men.
• Men have the right to sleep with a woman they please, whenever they please. Consent is not a thing.

 Another 'clue' about Sarkata's beliefs reveals the very origin of Stree. Many years ago, when Stree was a sex worker with a young daughter, she had defied Sarkata's authority by deciding to get married. Offended, he decided that he couldn't let a woman cross social 'boundaries', and killed both Stree and her husband-to-be.

The Curse Of Being A Modern Woman

Sarkata's victims are what you would expect them to be. Runners, fitness enthusiasts, martial art trainers, singers, and dancers; all the women Sarkata abducts are 'modern'. They are strong, independent, women who don't need a man. And that's exactly why Sarkata hates them so much and condemns them to a hell-like lair, where they live as mute statues. Their very attire makes for some striking imagery, resembling the widows in India from olden - or even what can count as modern - days who were sentenced to a life stripped of joy. It was a sin to be happy if one's husband had died. And thus, the victims of Sarkata, too, are forced to shave their heads; they are draped in lifeless white sarees, bereft of anything resembling human life. 

Their silencing is absolute, and through them, the idea of a modern woman is also silenced. They are not dead, yet, but their life is lifeless. They have no thought, no words, and hence no desires or wants. 

But there's another interesting group: the hypnotised, zombified men of Chanderi, who become Sarkata's staunchest followers once he kidnaps dancer Shama (essayed by Tammanah). These men start parroting Sarkata's ideology, locking up women inside the house to establish dominance. They say things not very different from what today's 'alpha male' influencers would promote: that Sarkata is the real victim, that he is misunderstood, that he is just restoring the natural order of the world, and so on. These men take away the right of 'puja aarti' from the women, they ban them from temples at night. In a sense, these men are just empty vessels. Devoid of any thought of their own, they make up the second type of victims of Sarkata.

Ultimately, Vicky, Rudra Bhaiyya and Jana are the only three 'un-hypnotised' men left in Chanderi. Sadly, the movie does not explain why that is. 

The Mindless Warriors of Patriarchy 

In Stree, when it was an alleged witch terrorising the men, the women of Chanderi had been sympathetic. That's not the case when the roles are reversed in Stree 2. The movie thus pulls no punches in showing that patriarchy is not one man, it's a system. It's systemic support for a culture where women are slowly and steadily held down, their desires, dreams, talents, and joy locked behind bolted doors. Interestingly, writer Niren Bhatt had this to say about Sarkata in an interview: "All our ghosts are fallacies of our society. Sarkata is the most warped form of patriarchy. Stree is the symbol of matriarchy, she is not a witch. Bhediya is the protector of the forests. We have designed these characters in a certain way." 

The film pays off this thought by having Stree beheading the man that would later become the demon Sarkata not once, but twice. 

Stree 2's Simple Feminism Is Important

Many will claim that the movie is too blatant in its message, and that it lacks depth or nuance. I beg to differ. Sometimes, we need a message that's clear, simple and leaves no room for doubt. We live in a society where women can't speak up safely even online, where threats, harassment, and trolling are par for the course. Even in 2024, we have prominent 'influencers' arguing that feminism has ruined women, who say that empowering modern women is wrong, or that women need to go back to the kitchen. These views are readily soaked up by millions of young, impressionable boys and men. Maybe, just maybe, a no-holds-barred take on a toxic society is just what is needed at the moment. That this take is complemented by good acting, a great script, and smart humour is a rare achievement. 

As a parting note, I leave you with a joke from the movie that sums up what the filmmakers were going for. When a shape-shifting animal figure starts being lewd towards Shraddha Kapoor's character, she quips: "Tu jaanwar hai, 'Animal' mat ban" (you are an animal, don't be 'Animal').

That's a lot said in plain words - just like the film. 

(Anwiti Singh is Assistant Producer, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author