Rajkummar Rao Reflects on Bollywood's Evolution Since His Debut

Rajkummar Rao is celebrating the success of his latest film, stree 2, a horror-comedy featuring Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, abhishek Banerjee, and Aparshakti Khurana. The movie has been a box office hit, earning over ₹386 crores in india and surpassing ₹500 crores globally within just ten days. Directed by amar Kaushik, this sequel to the 2018 hit stree has captivated audiences worldwide. Reflecting on his bollywood journey, which began with his debut in Rann and includes acclaimed films like love Sex Aur Dhokha, Shahid, Kai Po Che!, and Aligarh, Rao shared his thoughts on the industry's evolution.

In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Rao commented, “The changes in bollywood are quite welcome. There’s a growing focus on quality scripts and storytelling, and actors are pushing their boundaries by exploring different genres and characters. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the industry.” He noted that the influx of international cinema has raised audience expectations, leading to a demand for innovative storytelling. Rao praised stree for offering something fresh and unique, which has been well-received by viewers.

Released on august 15, stree 2 competed against Nikkhil Advani’s Vedaa and Mudassar Aziz’s Khel Khel Mein, starring Sharvari, john Abraham, and Akshay Kumar, respectively. Despite the competition, stree 2 emerged as the highest-grossing film. The movie, written by Niren Bhatt, is part of Maddock Films’ horror-comedy universe, alongside Bhediya and Munjya. It continues the spooky saga of Chanderi, with Rao and Kapoor reprising their roles as the town seeks Stree’s help against a new threat, Sarkata. The film features cameos, including varun dhawan as Bhediya.

Critics have responded positively to stree 2. News18 Showsha awarded it a 3.5/5 rating, highlighting the strong performances of Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao. While some fans wished for more screen time for Kapoor, her action scenes and Rao’s versatile acting were noted as standout aspects of the film.

In a previous interview with indianexpress.com, director amar Kaushik expressed his satisfaction with the film’s success. He said, “I’m thrilled with how well the film is performing. I always aim for my films to succeed not by chance but because people genuinely like them. For stree 2, I wanted to ensure that it was appreciated not just for being a sequel but for its own merits. The love from both reviewers and audiences means a lot to me.”





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