Stree 2 is now Hindi cinema’s all-time highest grosser!

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With the total Indian nett collections standing at an impressive Rs. 588.10 crore, Stree 2 is now the highest-ever grosser in Hindi cinema. Though, naturally, figure inflation is both talked about and (in all common sense) expected, if Stree 2 did end its run today, this will be the official figure documented for all time. It has broken the figures of Jawan that was topping the list so far by about Rs. 25 crore.

So do we see the self-styled pundits predict the end of the star-system?? I don’t think so at all.

Let us remember the quartet of 500 crore-plus grossers last year all had a star-studded cast. Pathaan had Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone and Salman Khan in a cameo, Gadar 2 had Sunny Deol in a sequel to a mega-brand, Jawan had Shah Rukh and Deepika again, and Animal had Ranbir Kapoor with Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol.

Also, the first (and genuine) 500 crore-plus film in Hindi cinema remains Bahubali 2—The Conclusion (2017) in its Hindi version. Now that film had no stars from Hindi cinema!

And Stree 2 has Rajkummar Rao, who is an actor, Shraddha Kapoor, a star but not a huge one, and Varun Dhawan (only in a cameo). Stree is also a brand, and has, just like the four Hindi films last year, a couple of hit songs.

So my statement, or discovery, would be that hit music is more the key to mega-grossers than big stars, a fact being proved down the decades from the star-less Rattan (1944), Dosti (1964), Bobby (1973), Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai (2000) and Murder (2004) that led their respective year’s box-office collections. Of course, there were lesser names (as in super-hits but not toppers in the years) too that had great music.

And in these recent examples, we did not have all-popular or all-hit albums. So can we come to the conclusion that even two or three solid numbers (in Gadar 2, these were re-creations!) are enough to give major boosts to films that already had appeal.

And stars are less important, though needed most of the time?

Food for thought indeed!