6 years of Stree: It all started with one line for Raj Nidimoru- 'O Stree Kal Aana'. The characters, the places, the plot are all heavily inspired by Raj and DK's childhood stories from a small town in Andhra Pradesh
Raj and DK with Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao on the sets of Stree
Stree 2 which was released in theatres on August 15 has been breaking all records at the box office. The first film of the franchise was released today six years ago The film starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao in the lead is a horror-comedy directed by Amar Kaushik The story came from filmmakers Raj and DK who are today known for films like 'Go, Goa, Gone', 'Farzi', 'Guns and Gulaab' among many other hits. But did you know they penned the story of 'Stree' after their film 'A Gentleman' tanked at the box office. As the film completed six years, Raj penned a long note taking about the inspiration behind the story of the film and the popular tagline 'O Stree Kal Aana'.
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Coming up with the core idea of Stree:
"I typed out on a blank page, "O Stree, Kal Aana!"
I dug into one of my lasting childhood visuals-every other wall in my hometown Tirupati, covered with the scribbling, "O Stree, repu raa" Nobody knew what the story behind that was. All they knew was a strange urban legend that a scary stree will come into your house if you don't write this. Why? How? What does she want? No one knew.
And I thought, what if she can't read Telugu? Why is she getting fooled by a silly trick to come tomorrow, again and again? What if she still didn't care and wanted to come inside? I had let these crazy/silly ideas float in my head for years. Then as I was discussing with DK, it hit us that this can't just be a silly comedy or a silly horror film. It can be so much more. Thus came the idea of gender reversal-what if men were the ones afraid to go out late at night? What if men had to go through what innumerable women have to deal with every day?
We had already explored the combination of horror and comedy with Go Goa Gone, but we were looking to delve something more rooted, with a deeper message.
Based on the times when as a kid I couldn't walk alone at night and had to chant Hanuman Chalisa because someone might 'call my name from behind. Many characters and incidents from school days made it into the film: Vicky, Jana,, Rudra bookstore. Shankar Shastri, "Friendship", tailor-shop. We even found the streets with fort walls (Chandragiri) near my hometown in Chanderi DK & I realised firsthand how a story from a small town in Andhra can easily make sense in a small town in Madhya Pradesh."
The beginning of something great:
Raj and DK penned the script of 'Stree' in just 3 weeks and got a team together to bring the story alive on screen.
A crew ready to buy into this silly story was put together.
A cast was cajoled into doing this film despite it being nonconforming.
A film started getting shot despite there being no precedent for this kind.
A super friendly fun shoot happened in the tiniest of the towns, Chanderi, where we stayed in guesthouses and schools, shot all over the town and played Mafia at nights. Many lasting bonds were formedAnd a film was made at the smallest budget possible and dared to go into theatres without a formula, and not following the norms.
Edits were changed, interval points were invented... But the original core story only got stronger at every step.
It was the fastest film we ever made. I guess that is what happens when you have a point to prove, to yourself. On the cusp of the release, we knew something magical was going to happen. And it happened!
August 31, 2018:
"A ridiculous story, defying all odds, became a phenomenon.
Glad we went back to our roots.
Glad we stuck to the films we want to make. Glad this was the first Hindi film wè produced.
A renewed second innings of D2R Films started, on our terms with our kind of stories and with no compromises. The Family Man, Farzi, Guns & Gulaabs, Cinemabandi, Citadel Honey Bunny, Gulkanda Tales, Rakt Brahmand... all followed. As we look back in the middle of multiple productions, a huge D2R family, buzzing writers rooms, producing, directing, creating, backing beautiful stories, on our own terms... it wouldn't have been possible without that little coffeeshop, the failures, the hardships, the amazing two- decade-old friendships, and the firm belief that even our kind of stories can break mainstream norms
I guess every failure is an opportunity to grow. And every heartbreak is a chance to cleanse and recreate.
Thank you, wholeheartedly, for everyone who backed us, believed in us and loved our stories!"
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