Mainstream Bollywood franchises occasionally gear towards the horror comedy genre. Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a major example with two hits to its name and a few more upcoming sequels. Even Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal franchise took a spooky detour with 2017’s Golmaal Again. But none of these series have become as diverse in their horror comedy approach as the Maddock Supernatural Universe aka Dinesh Vijan’s Horror Comedy Universe.
With producer Vijan’s studio Maddock Films producing Stree, director Amar Kaushik and screenwriters Raj and DK realised the potential for not just another Stree sequel but a shared universe exploring the supernatural mythology of India and overseas.
So, while Stree and its prequel Roohi focused on the phenomenon of Indian witches, its spin-off (set in the same timeline in another setting) Bhediya focused on an engineer turning into a werewolf. An end-credits scene in Bhediya unites the movie’s protagonists with characters from Stree, opening up the potential for an upcoming Stree 2 or a Bhediya 2. The possibilities are endless.
And considering that writers Raj and DK previously directed the zombie horror comedy Go Goa Gone (which itself might be getting a sequel pretty soon), it’s safe to say that Dinesh Vijan’s franchise is in safe hands.
Here’s a guide on how and where to watch Dinesh Vijan’s Horror Comedy Universe movies in order.
What is the viewing order to watch the movies of Dinesh Vijan’s Horror Comedy Universe?
While your viewing order wouldn’t be too affected if you watch the movies according to release date (Stree, Roohi, Bhediya), it’s better to follow the narrative chronology (Roohi, Stree, Bhediya). Roohi is set before the events of Bhediya and focuses on the origins of the Mudiyapairi (witches) with Janhvi Kapoor playing the titular character.
Even though Rajkumar Rao appears in both Roohi and Stree, it must be noted that he plays different characters in each movie. Roohi offers more context for a more fleshed-out narrative in Stree with Shraddha Kapoor playing Jahnvi Kapoor’s successor as she haunts a group of naive friends in a small Indian town. Stree leaves viewers on an open-ended note with the antagonistic witch surviving and finding her next victim. Vijan himself confirmed that if Roohi and Stree’s events would directly collide, then Rao must resort to playing a double role as both Roohi’s Bhawra Pandey and Stree’s Vikrant “Vicky” Parashar.
While Bhediya is more focused on werewolves and environmentalism, the ending scene finds the gang from Stree meeting up with leading man Varun Dhawan’s hero. This is the franchise’s very own “Avengers Assemble” moment as they team up to combat an impending supernatural threat.
Where can you stream the movies of Dinesh Vijan’s Horror Comedy Universe?
Both Roohi and Stree can be streamed on Netflix and Jio Cinema. You can watch Bhediya only on Jio Cinema. Even non-subscribers can watch movies from Dinesh Vijan’s Horror Comedy Universe on Jio Cinema for free, given if they have a tolerance for occasional ads!
Where can you watch Stree 2?
The sequel to Stree is touted as one of the most anticipated Indian movies of 2024 and it will finally hit theaters in August 2024, exactly six years after the first movie’s release. While the streaming partners aren’t known as of now, it’s highly possible that it will release on Jio Cinema considering Jio Studios has produced every other Dinesh Vijan Horror Comedy Universe entry.
