From Stree To Stree 2 – The Order Of Movies In Epic The Maddock Cinematic Universe

Hollywood is known for popular universes like The Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Conjuring, now-a-days Bollywood is also trying to make its own universe whether the Cop Universe by Rohit Shetty or The Maddock Supernatural Universe by Dinesh Vijan . The Maddock Supernatural Universe has brought out a new wave of cinema by mixing Indian horror folklore with comedy. This universe includes Hindi-language supernatural horror comedies like Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya. These films have performed very well at the box office and have been praised for the interconnected storylines (which actually make sense), interesting characters (great performance by whole cast) and great production.

It all began with Shraddha Kapoor and RajKummar Rao’s Stree in 2018, which set a benchmark for horror in Indian cinema by introducing folklore paired with comedic timing and Bollywood flair. The Maddock Supernatural Universe had a great head start, remaining constant, with films like Bhediya, Munjya, and Stree 2.

Dinesh Vijan is far from done with the Maddock Supernatural Universe as several films are already in making ,from the likes of Bhediya 2 to Thama to Munjya 2 and even Stree 3 . As the full lineup of movies is yet to be released, now is the perfect time to catch up on the Maddock Supernatural Universe and explore Bollywood’s horror-comedy saga.

How to watch the horror films in the Maddock Supernatural Universe in chronological order

1. Stree (2018)

In the small town of Chanderi, a vengeful spirit named “Stree” haunts residents during the annual festival, abducting men and leaving behind only their clothes. When a talented tailor, Vicky (RajKummar Rao), falls in love with a mysterious woman (Shraddha Kapoor), terrifying events begin to unfold. Vicky, along with his friends Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) and Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), joins forces with a paranologist, Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi), to protect Chanderi from Stree.

Stree became one of Bollywood’s most loved horror films, blending fear and comedy in a new way in the Hindi cinema. Raj and DK’s clever writing, which mixed local folklore with sharp humour, made it a box office hit and a critical success. Along with its supernatural elements and quirky humour, Stree also delivered an important social messages, with the strong performances of the cast taking you deeper into this fictional world. The film ends on a cliffhanger, making the audience anticipate what comes next.

2. Bhediya (2022)

Set in the beautiful forests of Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, a profit-driven businessman Bhaskar (Varun Dhawan) arrives with plans to ‘develop’ the village. But he gets bitten by a supernatural creature on a full moon night. Chaos unravel in the village after he transforms into a werewolf. To find a cure, he unites with a local veterinarian named Dr. Anika (Kriti Sanon).

Bhediya  introduces an Indian werewolf in the Maddock Supernatural Universe blending  folklore with modern-day themes. The film explores the conflict of  Man Vs Beast while also dealing with topic of self- discovery.

Bhediya was praised for its creative and ambitious perspective on a creature feature in Bollywood. The film captured the scenic beauty of Arunachal Pradesh and made good use of visual effects to enhance the supernatural atmosphere in the film.  

But how does it connect to Stree? Remember Jana? He is Bhaskar’s cousin Janardhan. Also played by Banerjee, the character carried the comic responsibility of the film with his incredible comedic timing. The ending also left the viewers intrigued. Bhediya 2 will be coming out in December this year.

Munjya (2024)

Munjya is the story of a village man who accidentally awakens a wicked spirit. The film takes place in rural Maharashtra, Bittu (Abhay Verma) and Bela (Sharvari) join forces to defeat the spirit that terrorizes their village.

Munjya, like all films in the universe, blends horror and comedy while still capturing the core of local folklore passed down from generation.  To fully immerse in Munjya, it isnecessary to watch Bhediya first.

Stree 2 (2024)

Finally, after six years Stree 2 was released. The story continues  from where we left off  in the first film and digs deeper into the story of the stree. This time, the curse seemed to have flipped as women were getting abducted now by the eerie Sarkate.

Vicky and his friends are back again trying to uncover the hidden secrets behind the origin of Stree, while facing Sarkate and trying to save all women. They trio along with Pankaj Tripathi and Shraddha Kapoor face new challenges as the movie introduces new characters and supernatural elements who have their own connection to the curse.

The ending of Stree 2, scattered with mid credit scenes featuring Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan established more complex connections with upcoming films in the universe.