Raj & DK went down memory lane as their film Stree clocked six years of release. Taking to their Instagram account, they shared a bunch of throwback behind-the-scenes pictures and a note written by Raj. The note started from 2017 when their film A Gentleman had ‘failed’ at the box office. Raj recalled going to a coffeeshop with his laptop and a “heavy heart”.
Raj on how Stree was inspired by his hometown story
Raj wrote about one of his lasting childhood visuals where “O Stree repu raa” was scribbled on the walls of his hometown Tirupati. He then jotted down “O Stree, kal aana”. “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?” wrote Raj. He added that many characters and incidents-Vicky, Jana Rudra bookstore, Shankar Shastri from his school days made it into the film.
Raj recalls how Stree was filmed in Chanderi
The 2018 film co-producer then wrote that he and DK finished the script in three weeks, following which they began discussions on how to start production. Raj also wrote, “A crew ready to buy into this silly story was put together. A cast was cajoled into doing this film despite it being non-conforming. 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 formed.”
Raj talks about Stree being magical
He added, “And 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!”
Raj calls Stree script ‘ridiculous story, defying all odds’
Raj continued, “Aug 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 we produced.”
He also wrote, “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! #STREE.”
(Also read: Stree Turns 6: Here’s Who Suggested This Title For Shraddha Kapoor-Rajkummar Rao Starrer & Why?)
About Stree, Stree 2
Stree (2018) is a comedy horror film directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Raj & DK. It stars Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee. The film was a box office hit. Its sequel, Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank released in theatres on August 15 and is one of the biggest blockbusters in history of Hindi films. It is also directed by Amar and produced by Maddock Films and Jio Studios.
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