The year 2024 began with the highly anticipated release of Fighter, a big-budget action film starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. While the film garnered significant attention due to its star power and the success of director Siddharth Anand’s previous film, Pathaan, it failed to reach the same box office heights, ultimately collecting ₹ 358.83 crore worldwide. Since then, no other Bollywood film has managed to surpass that number. However, the landscape shifted dramatically with the arrival of Stree 2 in August.
Despite lacking the so-called ‘bankable’ stars of Fighter, Stree 2, driven by the success of its predecessor, has stormed the box office, amassing a staggering ₹ 703.25 crore worldwide. This figure surpasses Fighter’s collection by a significant margin, highlighting the film’s remarkable performance. Even in its third week, the film continues to draw audiences, adding ₹ 6.75 crore on its third Monday alone.
Stree 2’s success is further underscored by its sustained popularity. Even after three weeks of release, the film continues to trend high on Google. Notably, it has already surpassed some of the biggest movies of 2023, including Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki (₹ 454 crore), Salman Khan’s Tiger 3 (₹ 464 crore), and Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 (₹ 686 crore). The only films currently ahead of Stree 2 are Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal (₹ 915 crore), and Pathaan (₹ 1,055 crore) and Jawan (₹ 1,160 crore), both starring Shah Rukh Khan.
This success highlights the power of sequels, especially those built on strong foundations like Stree. The film’s popularity is a testament to the enduring appeal of horror-comedy and the strong chemistry between Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao. It seems clear that Stree 2 is not just a box office hit but a major force in shaping the Bollywood landscape in 2024.
