The Spirit Bounds Of Hollywood And Bollywood:
The Similarity Between Stree And Stranger Things
That No One Is Talking About!
Introduction
Both the Stranger Things franchise and the Stree franchise of the Maddock Supernatural Cinematic Universe are beloved by the global audience. “Stree 2,” the latest installment of the film franchise, is getting well prized by the theatrical audiences and almost managed to collect Rs. 400 crore in its first week. The Stranger Things, however, is a beloved series that made Netflix a household name. Since the release of “Stree 2,” fans have noticed a lot of connections between the two franchises, but here at spooklorepedia.com, we try to dig deeper, especially when things are on the spooky side! This article decodes the case study of “spirit sensitivity” and how the concept is well presented in the respected franchises by the characters of Will Byers from Stranger Things and Jana from Stree.
The Concept Of Sprit Sensitivity
Sprit sensitivity is an ability where a person gets easily attached to any supernatural entity or can sense the world of unknown realms. This concept is widely used in the 1999 film The Sixth Sense, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, where the principle character is Cole, a boy who can see sprits of dead people. This concept is further established in both the Stree and Stranger Things franchises, depicting it as both a gift and a curse. On the other hand, there is the concept of “spirit readers,” a professional psychic who can read the psychology of dead people who are still residing on home ground.
Will Byers And The World Of Upside Down
Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp in the Stranger Things universe, is a boy who always gets affected by the monovalent spirits and creatures of the Upside Down, a dark dimension that is parallel to the world of Hawkins, Indiana. From the very first season, Will is presented as the most vulnerable amongst the group and often gets abducted by the entities of the dark dimension, so much so that as the franchise progresses to its new seasons, Will is presented as a medium to the world of Upside Down and has a special connection with the Mind Flayer, the most prime entity that resides in this dark world.
Jana And His Attachment With The Supernatural
Jana, or Janna (mentioned at IMDB), played by Abhishek Banerjee in the Maddock Supernatural Cinematic Universe, is a dumb-headed yet faithful young man who always gets associated with the supernatural. Whether it is in the Stree franchise or “Bhediya,” a film released in 2022 that is associated with the MSCU, Jana is always there, heading over tales by the unknown. Whether he is getting abducted in the first installment by the Stree, a supernatural entity, or he is befriending a werewolf in Bhediya, Jana is celebrated in the world of the unknown. Even in the latest installment, the character showed frustration about why he was associated with this phenomenon. The film further connects the character with Sarkata, a malevolent entity, as he is the only one who can see the world under Chanderi, a place where the entity resides, making him quite similar to Will Byers from the world of Stranger Things.
Conclusion
Inspiration or not, both franchises manage to entertain the viewers on the basis of themes of friendship and world-building. Both Chanderi and Hawkins are similar names to the respected franchises, connecting the viewers and making them a part of the place and the people associated with the home grounds. The concept of true friendship is at the heart of both franchises, a theme that is hardly used properly in cinemas these days. Rather than that, both franchises portray a female character that always saves the day. Whether it is Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, or Chalawa, played by Shraddha Kapoor, it is the woman who breaks the stereotypical concept of “damsel in distress,” making it loved by all genders and beyond.