Stree 2 Exclusive: Aparshakti Khurana opens up about Ayushmann Khurrana joining Maddock's horror comedy universe as a vampire, 'It's going to be fun'
Stree 2 released in theatres on August 15, 2024, and it is unstoppable at the box office. Directed by Amar Kaushik, the horror comedy film stars Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Panjak Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aparshakti Khurana. The film is a sequel to their 2018 movie, Stree, which was also a superhit. However, the sequel has been minting great numbers so far.
As per the latest reports, Stree 2's box office collection after a week of its release stands at Rs 275.35 crore. The movie is expected to enter the 300 crore club soon. BollywoodLife spoke to actor Aparshakti Khurana, who plays Bittu in the movie. We asked the actor about the movie's success and the end credit scene that teased something big in Maddock's horror comedy universe.
When asked about Stree 2's box office collection, the Jubilee star says, "It feels great to be a part of such an amazing journey. "I think the kind of love people are pouring into me, from performances to numbers, makes me feel happier."
Did he, or anyone else on the team, anticipate that the movie would surpass Rs 250 crore so quickly? Khurana answers, "Not at all. I don't think anyone will say that they expected these big numbers. Everybody was expecting great numbers and responses. But this is something that has crossed all bars."
Six years after the first movie's release, Stree 2 has hit theatres. During this time, the world also witnessed a pandemic, which made people selective about watching movies in theatres. So was he worried if the audience would be seated in large numbers for the sequel? Aparshakti responds, "People were definitely waiting for the sequel, as they used to ask frequently." Also, the first movie ends on a cliffhanger about Shraddha Kapoor's character. It was straightway teased enough for a second part. So people used to ask what would happen in the sequel. People were waiting, but we didn't know they were waiting so much. It is the audience's love that they waited so long and showered so much appreciation."
"Kudos to Dinesh Vijan, Amar Kaushik, and Niren Bhatt, who take everything in such a calm, composed way. From the first narration itself, it never sounded like there was any pressure to deliver a better product, or there was pressure to deliver better numbers, or there was pressure to deliver more fun. They never made us feel that way. They were quite calm and composed people who really knew their job and were the most hard-working people. So that matters and sets the tone right for you to perform," adds Khurana.
The first end-credit scene of Stree 2 shows us Varun Dhawan's Bhaskar telling Abhishek Banerjee's Jana about a man who attacks humans with his teeth and sucks their blood. Thus, there is confirmation about the horrorverse being expanded with a vampire movie. Many reports have stated that Ayushmann Khurrana will be cast as the main lead. When we asked Aparshakti Khurana about his brother also joining the horror-comedy universe, he gave a delightful reaction.
The Stree 2 star says, "I'm more than happy. Touchwood yaar. What could be better news than this? We were planning to work together for a long time, and finally, we have something to do together, which is really huge. It is going to be fun. He's been a vampire of my life since childhood (laughs). But I'm the youngest, so I get away with everything. But it will be fun."
Watch a video on Stree 2
Meanwhile, in 2022, in an interview with PTI, Ayushmann Khurrana was asked about his Vampire movie with Amar Kaushik. The film is reportedly titled Vampires of Vijaynagar. The Dream Girl actor said that Dinesh and Amar are building a horror universe, which is quite interesting and intriguing. Khurrana said that we will have to wait for an official announcement to happen soon.