From fright to family fun: Stree 2 and the coming of age of horror in India
Shaitaan, Munjya and Stree 2—riding a mix of comedy, cultural nuances, strong visual effects and relatable content, have drawn in families and the young in droves, and firmly established the popularity of the genre in Indian cinema. At last count, Stree 2 had earned ₹515.05 crore in domestic box office collections, according to data from trade website Bollywood Hungama, making it one of the biggest Hindi language hits of all time.
The movie was made on a budget of ₹60-70 crore, according to trade experts. Read this | Why Bollywood's big guns are a damp squib in south Munjya, backed by Maddock Films, also the makers of Stree 2, made ₹107.48 crore (budget ₹30 crore) when released in June despite featuring no familiar faces.
Ajay Devgn-starrer Shaitaan had clocked ₹149.49 crore (budget ₹60-65 crore) in March. Earlier, horror films made by the Ramsay brothers or the likes of Raaz and Haunted did find draw among audiences, but trade experts believe the genre hadn’t received a truly commercial spin and had remained restricted to adult, or male viewers.
What has changed now is that the fusion of horror with comedy, among several other significant shifts, has drawn in children and family viewers. Experts believe the stage is now set for bigger films and a whole new cinematic universe going forward.
“The evolution of the horror genre into horror comedies has made it more accessible to a broader audience, including those who might have been hesitant to watch traditional horror films," said Devang Sampat, managing director, Cinepolis India. Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer, cinemas, BookMyShow said, “The new wave of horror films is more refined, with compelling scripts, relatable themes and a cinematic quality that resonates
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