**Amar Kaushik’s Stree 2 (2024) Becomes Highest Bollywood Grosser; Director Remains Humble**
Amar Kaushik’s *Stree 2* (2024) has emerged as the highest Bollywood grosser of all time. Despite this monumental success, the director remains humble and down-to-earth, just as he was when his debut directorial *Stree* became an unexpected super-hit in 2018. The horror-comedy universe that began with *Stree* has now reached new heights, expanding into a captivating franchise.
The recently released *Thamma*, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Rashmika Mandanna, is the latest entry in this universe. The film has been warmly received, as evident from its impressive first two-day box office figures.
In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Amar Kaushik opened up about producing *Thamma*, the process of connecting characters across the universe, and much more.
—
### Exclusive Interview: Amar Kaushik on Universe-Building, Casting, and Censor Cuts
**From Linking Stree to Thamma and Planting Secret Easter Eggs to the ‘Pitaji’ of MHCU**
Amar Kaushik offers a masterclass in universe-building and breaks his silence on censor board cuts, saying, “‘Main tumhe azaadi doonga’ was uttered by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose for a greater cause; CBFC’s point was valid.”
—
### Your Energetic Cameos — A Signature Style!
*“Let’s start with your energetic, dancing cameo in the song ‘Poison Baby’! You always have such cameo appearances, even in your earlier films.”*
(Laughs) It all started with the first *Stree* film. I have this habit of enacting scenes for the actors, telling them, ‘Don’t do it exactly like me but something along these lines.’ For the scene of the beggar, it was Rajkummar Rao’s suggestion that I should act. He told me, ‘You should do this role!’
During the shoot of the song ‘Kamariya’, we were all in high spirits, and I thought, ‘Why not jump in?’ It was a fun experience, and the film became a hit. After that, everyone insisted I keep doing these cameos. That’s why I appeared in *Bala* (2019), *Bhediya* (2022), *Stree 2*, and now in *Thamma*.
In *Stree*, I actually appear thrice — twice intentionally, and once by chance. Besides playing the beggar and dancing in ‘Kamariya’, I can be seen sitting next to Rajkummar and Shraddha in the auto rickshaw listening to headphones. That happened because I had to watch the monitor, and there was no follow-up car.
—
### How Has the Audience Reacted to *Thamma*?
The feedback has been fantastic. The universe is slowly connecting, which was our goal — to have characters from different films bump into each other naturally. The audience is embracing this.
In my show, there was a great reaction as soon as Janardhan aka JD (Abhishek Banerjee) appeared. We didn’t even reveal his presence beforehand; we only expected Elvis Karim Prabhakar (Sathyaraj) since he was featured in the trailer. Ideally, I wouldn’t have shown Sathyaraj to keep the suspense, but a teaser helps excite the audience.
—
### Choosing Aditya Sarpotdar to Direct *Thamma*
*“What gave you and producer Dinesh Vijan the confidence to have Aditya Sarpotdar helm *Thamma*? Was the decision influenced by his work on *Munjya*?”*
Yes. We liked Aditya’s execution of *Munjya*. That’s when I shared the idea for *Thamma* with him. He liked it and came onboard.
I can’t direct every film; otherwise, they’d all feel the same. Different directors bring a unique touch. Though the characters are mine and I understand their reactions, it’s great to have a sharp, cool-headed director like Aditya. He’s also a genuine person, which made the collaboration smooth. He did a fantastic job.
—
### Production Dynamics Between You and Dinesh Vijan
Dinesh (Dinoo) is my sounding board. I share all ideas with him, even the unconventional ones. For instance, I wanted *Bhediya* to feel bigger in *Thamma* and discussed scaling the film with new twists.
Dinoo trusts my call on what suits the universe. I consider him like ‘Dada ji’ and myself as ‘Pitaji’ of this universe — it’s like a family with everyone fulfilling their roles.
I also keep track of the fact that four films exist already and many more are planned, so we insert subtle breadcrumbs across films. I guide the directors: ‘Include this detail, or have the character say this line because it will be relevant later.’
Our roadmap is ready with a broad idea of where the story will go. Sometimes, we feel we missed a point and plan to include it next time. It’s like solving a puzzle — slowly unraveling the story.
—
### The Casting Journey: Ayushmann Khurrana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rashmika Mandanna, and Paresh Rawal
Ayushmann and I have been discussing this story since the Covid times. Initially, I was going to direct *Thamma* and narrated the story at his home — his daughter also enjoyed it. I told Ayushmann, ‘She is our target audience!’ So Ayushmann was involved from the start.
Later, the story evolved after *Stree 2*.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a fantastic actor. I wanted someone who could portray a villain who isn’t scary physically but still induces fear. I assured Nawazuddin that while his screen time would be limited initially, his character would become hugely relevant going forward. He agreed immediately.
Paresh Rawal joined instantly as well. After watching *Stree 2*, he called me to congratulate and expressed interest in joining the universe. Since *Stree 2* was a direct sequel, it wasn’t possible then, but I promised him a role. Twenty days later, I sent him the *Thamma* narration, which he loved.
Rashmika Mandanna was cast because she was perfect for her role.
—
### Humour and Signature Easter Eggs in *Thamma*
I couldn’t stop laughing when Nawazuddin’s character sings ‘Panchhi Banoon’. Such quirky moments have become my trademark — like the ‘O Huzoor’ bit in *Bhediya*. Jokes like Paresh telling ‘Ayushmann Bhava’ to Ayushmann or Nawazuddin joking ‘Kya Betaal banega re tu’ always bring big laughs.
Writer Niren Bhatt and I share this humour style. We love giving twisted, fun meanings to songs and dialogues.
Some critics complain about meme culture entering films, but memes are part of life now — a good way to connect with youth and make the film a product of its time. Twenty years from now, audiences will look back and say, ‘Oh yes, this meme was popular then.’
Of course, the films also carry a larger message. For example, in *Thamma*, the Betaals have stopped consuming human blood because ‘Insaano ke khoon mein zeher aa gaya hai’ — a thought-provoking theme.
Choosing the right song for jokes is challenging. For example, the ‘O Huzoor’ joke in *Bhediya* faced skepticism from the team. They thought it wouldn’t work, but I insisted it would — and it did.
—
### Censor Board Cuts: Accepting the Changes
When asked if censor cuts dishearten him, Amar said:
There was a funny dialogue in *Thamma* when Alok (Ayushmann Khurrana) is trapped in a dungeon. Yakshasan wants to consume his blood and says, ‘Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azaadi doonga.’ The CBFC asked for it to be changed since the original line was uttered by the legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose for a greater cause, and the usage here was different.
I found their reasoning valid and tweaked the line to ‘Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe aiyaashi karata hoon,’ which ironically led to even more laughter.
—
**Also Read:**
– *Thamma* Box Office Collection
– *Thamma* Movie Review
**BOLLYWOOD NEWS LIVE UPDATES**
—
*Amar Kaushik continues to enthrall audiences with his visionary universe, seamlessly blending horror, comedy, and engaging storytelling. As the MHCU expands, fans eagerly await the next chapter in this ever-evolving saga.*
https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/exclusive-linking-stree-thamma-planting-secret-easter-eggs-pitaji-mhcu-amar-kaushik-delivers-masterclass-universe-building-breaks-silence-censor-cuts-main-tumhe-azaadi-doo/