Stree is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language horror comedy film directed by Amar Kaushik in his feature directorial debut. The film was produced by Dinesh Vijan under his banner Maddock Films and co-produced by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K., who also developed the story. It stars Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee in lead roles. The screenplay was written by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K., with dialogues by Sumit Arora.
The film draws loose inspiration from the Indian urban legend of "Nale Ba", a folklore that circulated in Karnataka in the 1990s, about a witch who knocked on doors at night calling out to men. Stree was released theatrically on 31 August 2018 and became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year. It is the first instalment in Maddock Films' horror-comedy universe, often referred to as the Maddock Supernatural Universe.
| Title | Stree |
|---|---|
| Director | Amar Kaushik |
| Producer | Dinesh Vijan |
| Story | Raj Nidimoru, Krishna D.K. |
| Screenplay | Raj Nidimoru, Krishna D.K. |
| Dialogues | Sumit Arora |
| Studio | Maddock Films |
| Distributor | Jio Studios |
| Music | Sachin–Jigar (songs); Ketan Sodha (background score) |
| Cinematography | Amalendu Chaudhary |
| Editor | Hemanti Sarkar |
| Language | Hindi |
| Release date | 31 August 2018 |
| Setting | Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh |
| Genre | Horror comedy |
The film is set in the small town of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, where a female spirit known as "Stree" is said to visit during the four-day annual local festival. According to the legend, the spirit calls out to men by name from behind, and any man who turns around is taken away, leaving only his clothes. The protagonist Vicky, a tailor, becomes involved in the mystery after meeting an unnamed young woman who appears in town only during the festival. Vicky and his friends Bittu and Jana, along with the bookseller Rudra Bhaiya, try to uncover the truth behind the spirit.
The project originated when Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. brought the concept to Dinesh Vijan, drawing on the Karnataka folklore of Nale Ba. Amar Kaushik, who had earlier directed the short film Aaba, was chosen to helm the feature. Principal photography took place largely in Chanderi, in the Ashoknagar district of Madhya Pradesh, with the town's heritage architecture serving as a key visual element.
The soundtrack was composed by Sachin–Jigar with lyrics by Badshah, Vayu and Jigar Saraiya, among others. The song "Milegi Milegi" features Mika Singh, while "Kamariya" became particularly popular. The background score was composed by Ketan Sodha. The album was released by T-Series.
Stree was released theatrically on 31 August 2018. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its blend of horror and humour, its social subtext on gender, the writing, and the performances of Rajkummar Rao and Pankaj Tripathi. It opened to a moderate box office collection and grew significantly through positive word of mouth, eventually emerging as a major commercial success.
The film received multiple nominations and wins at major Indian film awards. At the 64th Filmfare Awards, it won Best Film (Critics) and Pankaj Tripathi won Best Supporting Actor. It also received recognition at the Screen Awards, IIFA Awards and Zee Cine Awards, among others.
Stree is regarded as a turning point for the horror-comedy genre in Hindi cinema, demonstrating commercial viability for content-driven films with mid-range budgets. The film also underlined the lead-actor potential of Rajkummar Rao in a mainstream entertainer and contributed to Pankaj Tripathi's wider recognition.
The film launched what came to be known as the Maddock Supernatural Universe, a shared cinematic universe of horror comedies produced by Maddock Films. Subsequent films in this universe include Roohi (2021), Bhediya (2022), Munjya (2024) and the direct sequel Stree 2 (2024), the last of which became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films ever.