The highly anticipated horror-comedy sequel, ‘Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank,’ has made a thunderous debut at the box office, raking in ₹46 crore on its opening day, August 15th. The film, featuring a star-studded cast including Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, Aparshakti Khurana, and Tamannaah Bhatia, was released across India and overseas on India’s Independence Day. Directed by Amar Kaushik, ‘Stree 2’ is a follow-up to the immensely popular 2018 film ‘Stree’.
The film, which garnered positive reviews, also features a special cameo appearance by Akshay Kumar, adding further excitement to its release. The supernatural-horror film has been a massive hit, drawing audiences to theaters in large numbers. According to film industry tracker Sacnilk, ‘Stree 2’ witnessed a strong 77.09 percent Hindi occupancy on its opening day, indicating widespread interest and enthusiasm among viewers.
Major metropolitan cities saw especially high occupancy rates, with Lucknow leading the pack at 90.5 percent. Delhi NCR and Bengaluru followed closely behind with 86.75 percent occupancy, while Jaipur reported 84 percent occupancy. Bhopal and Mumbai also recorded impressive numbers.
Trade analysts have lauded the film’s performance, highlighting its record-breaking overseas release. Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh noted that ‘Stree 2’ saw the widest overseas release for a horror-comedy film, with screenings in over 75 countries across more than 1,250 locations and 1,600 screens. He gave the film a glowing 4.5-star rating, praising its success and stating that “The year 2024 has been a revelation for #Bollywood, with the supernatural-horror genre taking the lead at the Box Office.”
Adarsh highlighted the strong performance of three supernatural-horror films, including ‘Shaitaan’, ‘Munjya’, and now ‘Stree 2,’ indicating a growing trend and preference for the genre among audiences. Another film trade analyst, Sumit Kadel, echoed these sentiments, stating on X, “Stree2 off to a EARTH SHATTERING START across India with a occupancy of 65-70% in Morning shows.. Opening is as good as #Gadar2 #Pathaan #Jawan and #Animal.” The film’s impressive opening day collection has solidified its place as one of the highest-earning Hindi films of 2024. ‘Stree 2’ has not only entertained audiences but has also highlighted the resurgence of the supernatural-horror genre in Bollywood, setting the stage for further success in the future.
