'Chudail ki tarah hasti hai': Stree director Amar Kaushik’s comment on Shraddha Kapoor's casting upsets fans

Amar Kaushik, Shraddha Kapoor

Director Amar Kaushik, who helmed the successful horror-comedies Stree and Stree 2, recently spoke about Shraddha Kapoor's casting in the franchise. While recalling a conversation with producer Dinesh Vijan that led to her selection, one particular remark sparked backlash from Shraddha's fans.

In an interview with Komal Nahta, Amar shared how Shraddha came on board. He credited Dinesh for suggesting her name and revealed what made them feel she was perfect for the role. He said, "Shraddha ki casting puri ki puri Dinesh Vijan ko jaati hai. Woh Shraddha ke saath kisi flight mein aa rahe the, aur flight mein unko mili thi." ("The credit for Shraddha's casting goes entirely to Dinesh Vijan. He was on a flight with Shraddha and met her there.")

He further added, "Toh unhone bola, Amar, woh jab hasti hai na toh ekdum Stree ki tarah, ekdum chudail ki tarah hasti hai. Sorry Shraddha. Aisa kuch bola tha unhone... chudail bola tha ya kuch aur, I'm not sure. Toh main jab unhe mila toh sabse pehle maine unko bola - haso." ("He said to me, ‘Amar, when she laughs, she laughs exactly like Stree, like a witch. Sorry Shraddha.' He said something like that - I don't remember if it was ‘witch' or something else. When I met her, the first thing I told her was: laugh.")

Shraddha fans hit back at Amar

Although Kaushik mentioned it was meant as a light-hearted joke, many fans didn't take it lightly.

One user wrote on X, "Whether you're a fan of Shraddha or not, this is utterly disgusting and disrespectful. To speak about your leading lady like this at a public forum, shame!"

Another commented, "Hey @AmarKaushik, seems like you've forgotten who made #Stree2 a hit! When you need hype, you're all about @ShraddhaKapoor, but behind the scenes, you're mocking her? Not cool. Show some respect to the talent that brings you success."

About Stree 2

The story follows Bicky (Rajkummar Rao), Bitu (Aparshakti Khurana), JD (Abhishek Banerjee), and Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi) as they team up with the mysterious Stree to protect their village from the deadly force known as Sarkata.

Released in August 2024, Stree 2 broke several box office records and became the first Hindi film to cross ₹600 crore at the domestic box office.