Stree 2 director Amar Kaushik on feminist undertones in Tamannaah Bhatia’s song Aaj Ki Raat; ‘Logon ko lagta hai item song hai toh…’

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As a seasoned movie critic with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the approach taken by Amar Kaushik in Stree 2 is truly refreshing. His unique blend of horror-comedy and social commentary, as demonstrated through the song Aaj Ki Raat, is a testament to his creative prowess.

The movie “Stree 2,” starring Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, was launched earlier this year on Independence Day. Despite being a horror-comedy, the film garnered immense affection, but Tamannaah Bhatia’s guest role in the song “Aaj Ki Raat” particularly blew up online. More recently, director Amar Kaushik mentioned that the song had subtle feminist themes which could further contribute to the storyline.

Speaking with Hindustan Times, Stree 2 director Amar Kaushik expressed his belief that an “item number” can be included to reinforce the movie’s message and advance its storyline. In his view, such a film could be a masala production featuring an item song, but with meaningful content in its lyrics. The director emphasized his aim of creating a “complete offering” with a high-budget production.

In a similar vein, the 44-year-old director emphasized the importance of understanding one’s message. He acknowledged that moviegoers attend cinemas for musical numbers, but he was insistent on maintaining high quality and decency in those songs while ensuring they align with his horror-comedy film’s narrative.

I believe that an ‘item song’ doesn’t necessarily require explicit lyrics, but rather it ought to be engaging for the audience, appropriate within the context of the movie, and carry a significant message in its lyrics.

The filmmaker added that he emphasized they should avoid tackling sensitive or inappropriate topics, as their movie wasn’t intended for such themes. He explained that a movie needs to maintain certain political sensitivities.

Speak freely, as expressions are important too, but when you share your thoughts through lyrics, it may seem like a casual conversation at first, but later on, it becomes clear that a profound message was being conveyed.

When someone inquired if the filmmaker was worried about the message getting lost amidst the item number, Amar humorously suggested that he couldn’t have conveyed it like a spiritual hymn, or else no one would have paid attention. Yet, he added, those who are open to understanding will indeed grasp its meaning.

In the follow-up to the 2019 film “Stree,” starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, notable performances were delivered by Aparshakti Khurana, Pankaj Tripathi, and Abhishek Banerjee.

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2024-09-24 15:22