‘Stree 2,’ ‘Munjya’ Roar for India’s Maddock as Chief Dinesh Vijan Looks Back at Stellar 2024: ‘Go Unique or Go Home’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran Indian production house Maddock Films, led by Dinesh Vijan, has delivered a series of successful genre films in 2024, including the breakout horror-comedy “Munjya” and the franchise continuation “Stree 2.” The studio began the year with hit sci-fi rom-com “Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya,” where Kriti Sanon plays SIFRA (Super Intelligent Female Robot Automation), with whom robotics engineer Aryan (Shahid Kapoor) falls in love.

SIFRA eventually develops sentient feelings. This was followed by the horror-comedy “Munjya,” where a young man’s visit to his native village unveils a family secret and a vengeful spirit, the Munjya, who wants to get married.

The film performed even better at the box office, crossing the INR100 crore ($12 million) mark without major star power. “‘Munjya’ is our biggest victory because it clearly states that without any face value, you can do a film that does 100 crores,” Vijan told Variety. “It sets up the universe very strongly because now we have three very diverse characters, all from different parts of India.” The success of “Stree 2” – where after the events of “Stree” (2018), women in the town of Chanderi are mysteriously abducted by a terrifying headless being – further validated the studio’s franchise strategy. “Once there is some sort of investment in a franchise and people love it, they really do pay you with a lot of love when you come again and you live up to the hype,” Vijan said.

Maddock’s approach to universe-building involves careful integration of standalone stories into a larger narrative. “The film on its own has to land, and that landing gives it an entry into some sort of universe,” Vijan explained. “A true universe is having its own battles and ultimately.