Rajkummar Rao recently appeared on the IMDb exclusive segment ‘Reviews on Reviews’ to share his thoughts on fan reviews on IMDb for Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank. Directed by Amar Kaushik, Stree 2 follows the town of Chanderi as it is haunted again, this time by a terrifying headless entity abducting women, and it's up to Vicky, played by Rao, and his friends to save their town and loved ones.
In response to a comment praising the unique headless ghost storyline and the incorporation of Indian folklore in the film, Rao said, “I think that's the fun in Stree 1 as well; it was based on some actual incidents. There was a town in Andhra Pradesh, if I'm not mistaken, where people used to write in Telugu, ‘Oh Stree, Come Tomorrow,’ and that’s where Raj and DK got the idea for part 1. In part 2, Niren and Amar carried it forward, maintaining the folklore and realism of the small-town world to ensure people could relate to the characters and believe in this world. I have also heard, growing up, that if we were walking alone at night and someone called our name from behind thrice, we should never turn back. This is reflected in Stree. There are also warnings like not going near peepal trees at night. We have used as many of these elements as we could in Stree.”
Responding to a review praising the film for its entertainment value and authenticity, Rao said, “Thank you so much! The intent was to entertain the viewers. The writing was very funny. As actors, we also tend to ad-lib and try to make it funnier. But that comes with a better understanding with your co-actors and Amar, our director. He made sure that we were living like a family on the sets of Stree 1 and Stree 2. Amar is too much fun to work with. Every day we would go to the set, and he would play a song before we started filming. He would just play any song related to the scenes we would be shooting that day, and everybody would have to dance to that song—be it the production team, the direction team, the camera team, or the actors. All of us would dance together for those 3-4 minutes, and then he would start shooting, which I think was a great way for him to get everyone together, to build that bond, and to avoid any kind of hierarchy on the set.”
In response to a fan comparing him to Irrfan Khan, Rao said, “Wow! This is huge. I’m a very big Irrfan Khan fan. Irrfan sir has taught me a lot. Just by watching his performances, I have learned a lot from him. Thank you for comparing me to Irrfan sir. Once he came to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) when I was studying there. He came for a lecture, and I was mesmerized. I was listening to his stories and asked him many questions. I met him a lot of times in Mumbai. Once, during a chat between him and Naseeruddin Shah sir, I was sitting in the front row, asking many questions. Then I met him during his last days when he was in London for treatment. We had lunch together. He was such a great personality, actor, and human being. Of course, I miss him a lot.”
