Stree 2 Redefines Post-Pandemic Bollywood Blockbuster Formula

The year 2023 witnessed four Hindi films crossing the ₹500 crore mark at the domestic box office: Pathaan, Gadar 2, Jawan, and Animal. Before this, no original Hindi film had reached this milestone (with Dangal being the highest-grossing original Hindi film at under ₹400 crore). This notable achievement prompted an exploration of common traits among these films. While they all fall broadly within the 'action' genre, the similarities run deeper, raising questions about a possible formula for post-pandemic blockbusters. The emergence of Stree 2 in 2024, joining the ₹500 crore club, further adds to this inquiry.

A method used to identify commonalities between different films involves analyzing their protagonists (and key antagonists, if applicable). This analysis employed the Ormax Personality Framework, which is adapted from Jennifer Aaker’s Brand Personality Framework for the Indian entertainment industry. The framework features 27 relevant personality traits across five dimensions, allowing for an in-depth examination of characters and how they are perceived by audiences.

Six key characters from the 2023 blockbusters—Pathaan and Jim (Pathaan), Tara Singh (Gadar 2), Vikram Rathore and Azad (*Jawan*), and Ranvijay (*Animal*)—were analyzed for their dominant traits. The chart below highlights traits associated with these characters, with dark green indicating traits present in at least five of them and light green for traits found in three or four.

Six dominant traits stood out among these characters: Daring, Spirited, and Cool (all under the Excitement dimension), as well as Tough & Rugged, Confident, and Glamorous. Secondary traits included Good-looking and Intelligent. This combination forms an archetype characterized by primary dimensions of Excitement and Ruggedness, supported by Competence and Sophistication. This archetype embodies masculinity and machismo, providing audiences with adrenaline and a sense of swagger.

What is particularly intriguing is the high degree of similarity between these characters, suggesting a potential "formula" for blockbuster success in post-pandemic Hindi cinema, where protagonists conform to a specific archetype. The replication of such "formulae" by studios and filmmakers is common, as the term "formula films" has been part of Bollywood's lexicon for decades.

However, Stree 2, released in 2024, challenged this notion. As the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time, nearing ₹600 crore in domestic collections, it broke away from the established formula. The primary characters, Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) and Stree (Shraddha Kapoor), diverged from the traits seen in the 2023 blockbusters. Vicky's top five traits—Funny, Friendly, Honest, Emotional, and Caring—were absent from the common traits chart, indicating a distinct type of hero. Stree’s traits—Good-looking, Cute, Glamorous, Daring, Intelligent, and Confident—showed a drive led by Sincerity and Sophistication, with minimal Ruggedness, contrasting sharply with the other blockbusters.

In Stree 2, this departure from Ruggedness did not detract but rather enhanced its appeal, demonstrating that mainstream success does not always rely on larger-than-life action heroes. The film's success serves as a reminder that post-analysis of previous hits might not always predict future successes. This makes the ongoing work at Ormax Media both fascinating and challenging.