Bollywood has been comfortable with eclectic genres (Roohi), right from love-saga romantic dramas to action-packed thrillers. A new genre, however, is a brewing genre that skillfully fuses horror with comedy, promising audiences an unparalleled cinematic experience. Leading this phenomenon is Maddock Supernatural Universe, a shared universe courtesy of Maddock Films that has clicked with the audience through its sensitive amalgamation of scares and laughs. This blog explores the evolution of this universe, its films, and their impact on Bollywood.
Genesis of Maddock Supernatural Universe
The Maddock Supernatural Universe began with the release of the movie Stree in 2018. Directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the production banner of Maddock Films, the movie Stree brought a change of fortune to Bollywood. It mixed horror and comedy in a way seldom seen earlier small town harassed by a female spirit that kidnaps men at night. Clever writing, great performances, and a pitch-perfect mix of humor and horror have made this film strike a gold run of over ₹180 crores at the box office.
The success of Stree was not isolated; it generated a whole universe. The movie had a post-credits scene that ensured the possibility of other supernatural tales in this universe, further heightening fans’ and critics’ excitement about what this movie can promise.
Roohi and the Expanded Universe
Riding the wave of success, Maddock Films expanded the universe of Stree and released Roohi in 2021. The film stood true to the universe’s spirit of horror-comedy, created by Hardik Mehta, and starring Janhvi Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, and Varun Dhawan. The story is about a young woman who gets possessed by a spirit that kidnaps brides on their wedding day. Like Stree, Roohi off-sets the spookiness with humor, eventually turning it into a joyful, thrilling experience for all those present in the cinema.
Where Roohi did not do as well as Stree did, it still had a pretty decent run at the box office and expanded the Maddock Supernatural Universe to another great height. The connectivity to Stree is so subtly and elegantly presented, with the theme, but also with the tone of the movie, having overlapping characters, which says much more about how greater the universe is.
Bhediya was released in 2022, further expanding the Maddock Supernatural Universe. Starring Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon, Bhediya introduced a new supernatural creature into the universe: a werewolf. Directed by Amar Kaushik, this film combined aspects of horror and comedy, which have become an integral part of the ever-expanding Maddock Supernatural Universe.
Well, the minute Bhediya dropped, it was a given that Maddock Films was onto creating a shared universe that would stand toe to toe with some of the biggest franchises churning out of Hollywood. It also cinched just how well this film would integrate with its predecessors, Stree and Roohi, since it continued character and story crossovers between films, building one tight and cohesive narrative.
The Impact on Bollywood
The success of Maddock Supernatural Universe has struck a chord within Bollywood, encouraging more filmmakers to join in on the fun with their versions of horror-comedy. Having finally proved that these two opposite genres could blend and give commercially effective results, Maddock Films opened the door for newer and more innovative storytelling in Indian cinema.
More importantly, the Maddock Supernatural Universe has proved a fact that audiences have an appetite for something new and different. A genre that was usually full of formulaic storytelling, Stree, Roohi, and Bhediya is successful, which in ways means there is room for a bit of creativity and experimentation. And this shift will drive more filmmakers to take chances with newer genres and ways of telling stories, arguably.
A Universe Worth Watching
Horror and comedy bring together an extended universe of films and interactive storylines that are wildly entertaining and refreshingly new to Bollywood audiences. And as that universe will keep on growing, with more such films and interconnected storylines coming in, the fact is there: the Maddock Supernatural Universe isn’t going anywhere.
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Be it horror, comedy, or just great storytelling, the Maddock Supernatural Universe is something no one should miss. With its engaging characters, clever writing, and perfect balance of scares versus laughs, this universe is set to become a staple of Indian cinema for years to come. Follow our culture page for more such interesting topics.
