Reflecting on Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe that satiated our appetite for a good fantasy!

With films like Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya, Dinesh Vijan has created a universe of supernatural storytelling rooted in our culture that Indians have always craved! 

Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik are returning with the second instalment of the much-loved film Stree, which gave us a fun gang of misfits who came together to kill some gender stereotypes under the guise of fighting a ghost and reversing the curse on Chanderi. While we are eagerly waiting to see how they solve sarkate ka aatank and free the Chanderi women today, on Independence Day, it is also equally important to look into how Dinesh Vijan has created a whole horror-comedy universe with films like Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya. 

Also Read: POV: 6 reasons why I cannot wait to watch 'Mufasa: The Lion King' this December!

It started in 2018 when Stree came out and unexpectedly broke all records at the box office, proving that there is a huge appetite for the supernatural fantasy genre. And even though Roohi, made by the same team, couldn't recreate the magic, the success of Bhediya in 2022 and of Munjya has established that there is a thirst in the audience for a good scare and a believable story with a whole lot of laughter. And here is how Dinesh Vijan and his team curb that thirst successfully with their horror-comedy universe. 

Check it out! 

A unique blend of genres to tell a story 

Horror films in our country have always become more of an unintentional comedy instead of being scary, but who could have thought that a ghost story intentionally would come to tickle our bones? This is exactly what Stree did! It was a layered blend of genres where the female ghost was as terrifying as her reign of terror on people was funny. Similarly, Bhediya and Munjya blended the fantasy horror elements of werewolves and teenage ghosts into a humorous story so that while the horror creeps us up, it is all enjoyable. 

Riddled with social commentary 

It's hard to imagine that a ghost could come back to teach us lessons, but Stree did it! She was not just a ghost who loved terrifying men but a disrespected woman craving respect from society. Hence, she raged her anger over Chandheri, in the process of which gender roles got reversed where men stayed inside while the women roamed around free. Similarly, in Bhediya, through the dilemmas of the werewolf, we get to see the environmental damage our forests are currently facing, while in Munjya, through the young ghost, we get to see the man-child behaviour in a man especially when it comes to wanting the women they supposedly have fallen in love with. 

Finding roots in our mythology and culture 

What's even more interesting to note in all these three films is that each one is inspired by folklore that has existed within our country for ages. Stree is inspired by Naale Baa's tale from Karnataka, in which a witch and ghost terrifies men by luring them out and killing them, leading them to write on their walls Naale Baa aka come tomorrow. Bhediya is inspired from Arunachal Pradesh's legend of a shape-shifting werewolf (Yapum) who wants to protect the jungle even if they have to kill somebody. And Munjya is inspired by Konkan folklore, which explores the myth of 'munjya' - an adolescent boy's spirit wanting to fulfil incomplete desires. 

Bhediya and Stree have already hinted at their connection, so it will be interesting to see how Stree 2 utilizes all of this and continues moving this universe forward. Stree 2: Sarkate ka Aatank is releasing in theatres near you today!

What do you think of Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe? Tell us in the comments below!

For more such content, follow us on @socialketchupbinge.