Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe
D.V Horror-Comedy Universe is an Indian series consiting of 7 Hindi supernatural horror films. The film series began in 2018 with the release of "Stree", directed by Amar Kaushik and starring Rajkumar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor The plot is the Bangalore legend of the 1980s known as Oh Stree Nale Ba (transl. Oh woman, come tomorrow), about a spirit who knocks on people's doors at night; it received positive reviews and grossed ₹180 crore worldwide, budget of between Rs 20 crore, The first film also spawned two direct sequels: "Roohi" (2021 ), and "Bhediya" (2022). The franchise has been commercially successful, having grossed a combined ₹210 crore against a combined budget of ₹40 crore. The franchise has predominantly received positive to mixed reviews. Overview. Section::::"Stree" (2018). The people of Chanderi live under constant fear of Stree, the spirit of a woman who attacks men at night during festivals. Vicky, along with his friends, decides to unravel the mystery. Section::::"Roohi" (Spin-off). Bhawra and Kattanni kidnap Roohi on the orders of Guniya Bhai, who wants to marry her off to his client. However, things take a paranormal turn when they realise  that Roohi is possessed by a demon. Section::::"Bhediya" (Spin-off). "Bhediya" revolves around the story of a werewolf, has its roots in popular folklore and is inspired by legendary tales of Arunachal Pradesh, where the movie was also shot. Films. Section::::"Stree" (2018). The first installment of the series, centers on the real-life incidents. The people of Chanderi live under constant fear of Stree, the spirit of a woman who attacks men at night during festivals. Vicky, along with his friends, decides to unravel the mystery. The film focused on the "Naale Baa" was an urban legend that went viral  during the 1990s in Karnataka. The myth goes "a witch roams the streets in the night and knocks the door. "Naale Baa" has been found written on walls of small towns and villages (Rural Bangalore) for years now. Stree was released on 30 August 2018 in United Arab Emirates and 31 August 2018, in India to positive reviews. It earned ₹180 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹20 crore, becoming one of the most profitable horror films in Indian history. Section::::"Roohi" (2021). A spin-off film, focusing on the origins of the Mudiyapairi. And also second installment in  this series. The plot focused on Bhawra and Kattanni kidnap Roohi on the orders of Guniya Bhai, who wants to marry her off to his client. However, things take a turn when they realise Roohi is possessed by a demon (mudiyapairi). The film is directed by Hardik Mehta and produced by Dinesh Vijan, Mrighdeep Singh Lamba. Roohi was released on 11 March 2021, gained positive response from audience and month later film released on JioCinema on 8 April and released on Netflix the next day. Section::::"Bhediya" (2022). Bhediya is another spin-off and also third installment in this series. The  film starring Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon and Deepak Dobriyal. Film is set to release on 25 November 2022 Worldwide. The shooting for Bhediya is done in the regions of Arunachal Pradesh - Ziro (Lower Subansiri), Sagalee (Papum Pare) and parts of Pakke-Kessang district- over a span of two months, from March to April 2021. Over 70 percent of the artists in Bhediya are from Arunachal Pradesh.The shooting schedule in Arunachal Pradesh completed on 19 April 2021. The film was wrapped up on 10 July 2021. Future films. Section::::"Bhediya" (2022). The film is the third installment in this series, directed  by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan, starring Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon with Janhvi Kapoor and Flora Saini reprising their roles from the previous installments "Roohi" and "Stree". The principal photography begun in March 2021, and the film will release theatrically worldwide on 25 November 2022. Section::::"Munjha" (2023). The fourth and last standalone film in this series, the film is written and directed by Yogesh Chandekar, featuring Sanjana Sanghi in lead role and will be kickstarting shooting from September 2022. "Munjha" is a prequel to Stree, it tells the story of the girl who came in Stree and  the complications she brought along. The film will release theatrically worldwide on April 2023. Section::::"Stree 2" (2024). The fifth installment in this series, and also a sequel to Stree (2018 film). The film is directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan, featuring Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkumar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee in lead roles. Untitled Roohi Sequel. After the release of "Roohi", Hardik Mehta announced that he will return with the same crew for a sequel. The film titled not revealed. Munjha 2. Before shooting the film, Dinesh Vijan shared that "Munjha" will be released in two parts . The first part would be a prequel to "Stree", it tells the story of the girl who came in Stree and the complications she brought along. The second part titled "Munjha 2" will be release after "Stree 2", as announced by Dinesh Vijan. The second part will continue from the first part's story. Recurring cast and characters. This table lists the main characters who appear in the D.V horror Universe, in alphabetical order by the character's last name. Reception. Section::::"Stree" (2018). Rajeev Masand of CNN-News18 also gave 4.5 out of 5: "Stree is especially entertaining, packed with  laugh-aloud moments and a cast that’s on top of their game. It’s one of the most original films this year, and I recommend that you make the time for it." Rachit Gupta of "The Times of India" offered 4 out of 5, noting the superlative writing and dialogues, but felt the film was a little too long and had some 'ambiguous ideas.' Raja Sen of the "Hindustan Times" gave it a 4 out of 5 and had a more moderate tone, commending the actor's energy and collaborative efforts but noting a rushed-feeling plot: "The laughs  are inconsistent, and the plotting feels sloppy and rushed. The ideas are fine, but the writing needed work." Section::::"Roohi" (2021). "Roohi" received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 10% based on reviews from 10 critics. "Times of India" gave it a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 and said ,""Roohi" is an entertaining blend of laughs and thrills". Umesh Punwani of "Koimoi" gave the film a rating of 2.5/5 and stated ""Roohi" has its moments, but they’re very few to label this as an entertaining product overall. The acting department  shines, and the others remain to be in between from bad to moderately good". Monika Rawal Kukreja of "Hindustan Times" described "Roohi" as a "convoluted film". She praised Rao and Sharma's equation in the movie but criticised Kapoor by calling her performance average. Box office. The franchise has been notable for its profit, with "Stree" and its follow-up having earned a combined profit of ₹210 crore, according to Hindustan Times.