'Stree 2' writer Niren Bhatt: Stories over stars is the future

Shraddha Kapoor in Stree 2

According to Niren Bhatt, we "live in Sarkata's world". The writer of Stree 2 is not far from the truth. Through its villain Sarkata that attacked progressive women, Stree 2 depicted the ugly face of patriarchy and championed women's empowerment. The horror comedy's runaway success unfolds at a time when the Hema Committee Report and the RG Kar rape-murder case have reiterated the lack of women's safety in India. Bhatt acknowledges the irony, and hopes the franchise will further the conversation on female agency. "By itself, a film can never change society. Movies further conversations. The movement in Malayalam cinema is mirrored in a big-screen experience [through films on patriarchy and gender issues]. This blend of reality and fiction sparks conversation and spreads awareness," says the writer.

Niren Bhatt

The Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor-starrer's domestic gross collection crossed the Rs 500-crore mark. But for writers, the bigger win is to see their messaging resonate with the audience. Is Bhatt conscious of what he shows on screen? "Writers are also concerned about a movie's box-office fate. If a film doesn't work, their future projects come into doubt. Messaging is important to me, but I don't want to sermonise. I want to deliver it with sarcasm and satire. Bala [2019] was a satire about self-image, Bhediya [2022] talked about the environment, and Munjya's last scene was about not being a jilted one-sided lover. Stree 3 will take feminism and female agency ahead!"

There has been much chatter about who should be credited for Stree 2's success. In such a scenario, does the writer benefit from the success? "Yes, we get to tell more stories," he smiles. But the power that a writer wields has unfortunately changed over time. The recent docu-series, Angry Young Men showed how
Salim-Javed, in the '70s, would call the shots on their projects. Is such creative freedom afforded to today's successful writers? "OTT platforms have empowered writers. But in mainstream films, it will take time. Like Aamir Khan says [in the documentary] that if a writer can sell a film on their name, s/he can command [high] fees. As of today, I don't see writers [being in a position to charge] R1 crore more than the leading man. Personally, I don't think about money first. I'm greedy for better work. But if some writer is able to bring that, it would create a change. Stories over stars is the future."