Niren Bhatt discusses the social metaphors in Maddock Films’ horror comedy universe
By: Eastern Eye
Maddock Films’ horror comedy universe is known for addressing social issues. Street 2Sarkata, the latest addition, serves as a portrayal of the flaws within patriarchy, according to author Niren Bhatt.
Bhatt, who gave up a lucrative career in business in 2007 to pursue his passion as a screenwriter, is thrilled with the success of Street 2although he admits the overwhelming response was “a bit crazy.”
“People have been waiting impatiently for this film for six years, but we have not focused too much on those expectations,” Bhatt said, referring to the highly anticipated sequel to 2018 hit “Stree”, which premiered on August 15 and is approaching the 500 crore (£45.1 million) mark worldwide.
Bhatt, who also wrote other successful films in the franchise, such as Bhediya And Munjyaexplained that each character in these films symbolizes different social issues.
“While some viewers may find there is too much humour and too little horror, or vice versa, these are not typical horror films. Our ghosts are metaphors for societal ills. Sarkata, for example, embodies the most twisted aspects of patriarchy,” he noted.
He added that the character Stree symbolizes matriarchy rather than being a traditional witch, while Bhediya represents the protector of the forests.
“We have designed these characters to reflect real societal issues and not supernatural phenomena,” Bhatt said in an interview with PTI.
While Street revolves around a female ghost who suffered injustice in her mortal life, the sequel focuses on a headless villain named Sarkata with a connection to the character of the same name.
Directed by Amar Kaushik, the new film brings back the original star cast of Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Tripathi and Aparshakti Khurana.
Street 2which is pursuing Sarkata’s abduction of women with an independent voice, hits harder against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder case in Calcutta and the Hema Justice Committee report on the exploitation of women in Malayalam cinema.
Bhatt, who always keeps his eyes open, said it was unfortunate that such incidents had become the norm.
“It happens every day. It’s just this one incident that was highlighted by the media that shocks us so much. I follow the current trends very closely. You know it’s happening, but you try to think of something else tomorrow because you have a life to live and you can’t always think about the fact that you’re living in such terrible times. But it all keeps playing in the back of our minds.”
In one of the key scenes in Street 2Sarkata destroys the statue of Stree, the guardian of Chanderi, to announce the beginning of his reign.
The author, who also produced successful Gujarati films Bey Yaar, Wrong page Rajuand television programs Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmahsaid he wanted to repeat the 2003 incident in Baghdad, in which civilians and US forces destroyed a large statue of Saddam Hussein to mark the end of his rule in Iraq.
“It’s a famous metaphor… Whenever there is a regime change, the first thing that gets destroyed are the symbols of the establishment. It was similar in Bangladesh recently,” he said, referring to protesters in Bangladesh who destroyed a statue of the country’s founder Sheikh Mujibur after his daughter Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country amid political unrest.
Bhatt’s writings are not only political, but also full of pop culture nostalgia. Be it a reference to Marvel’s supervillain Thanos in Bala or an allusion to Bryan Cranston’s one-liner “I am the danger” from breaking Bad And Rasode Mein Kaun Tha Memes by Saath Nibhana Saathiya In Bhediya.
“I love using pop culture references. The story and the script have to be there, and I try to make the line that makes the reference fit the character and the scene. It makes sense and also makes people laugh who get the reference.”
Street 2 is no different. There are hat tips for Harry Potter, star Wars, Mission: Impossible, avenger, King Arthurand even the Sufi philosopher Rumi.
“I have many favorites, but in Street 2 what I liked most was Sahi aur galat ke pare ek maidaan hai wahan milti hai woh‘ said the author, referring to Rao’s dialogue when his friends ask him where he meets the mysterious woman he is in love with.
One cannot forget Khurana’s singing Soft Chittythe hilarious Indian version of Soft kitten out of The Big Bang Theoryand Bhatt, a fan of the American show, said he enjoyed sneaking in the reference.
“Soft kitten, warm kitten is an integral part of my life. I am a huge fan of the show. My whole family is crazy about it. Amar loves it too.”
More than a week after the release, both the ghosts and the cameos – by Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan as Bhediya – are out of the bag.
But Bhatt said he did not write a key character with Kumar in mind. Kaushik, who is producing the superstar’s upcoming film, Heaven Force approached Kumar and he agreed.
“It was pure madness. He did something that we saw him do as a child in films like Hera Pheri And Khiladi. His typical humor.”
How did he come up with Tu Bhediya hai, animal mat bana line with a clear reference to the controversial film starring Ranbir Kapoor animal?
The author denied that it was Banerjee’s improvisation.
“He’s a crazy guy, he can think of anything at any time. Some random but very funny sayings.”
The love for Shah Rukh Khan is also a constant in Street films, and Bhatt said it was “great temptation” to include such homages in the script.
“Who doesn’t love Shah Rukh Khan? This film has been such a huge success, we hope to work with him again soon.”
With Street 3, Bhediya 2, Munjya 2And Topic (previously titled The Vampires of Vijay Nagar), there is “more fun” in the Maddock Films universe.
However, Bhatt said he could not reveal much at this point. (PTI)
