Dinesh Vijan reveals how 'Stree 2' and 'Chhaava' became global successes; says Vicky Kaushal’s 'Mahavatar' is planned as a ‘world-class film’

Dinesh Vijan recently spoke about the global success of 'Stree 2' and 'Chhaava' while sharing his thoughts on India’s future on the global stage. He explained how Shraddha Kapoor's 'Stree 2', compared to its own prequel, crossed more than Rs 800 crores.
Stree 2's marketing strategy
Dinesh was speaking at the Waves 2025 summit, where Aamir Khan also joined the discussion with him. He was asked about the contrasting performances of his horror-comedy franchise — 'Stree' and its sequel 'Stree 2'. While the first film had an impressive global run, collecting approximately Rs 180.76 crore, 'Stree 2' dramatically outdid it with a staggering Rs 800 crore-plus worldwide gross. Another of his productions, 'Chhaava' starring Vicky Kaushal, reportedly matched those earnings. Aamir appeared visibly taken aback on hearing that both 'Stree 2' and 'Chhaava' had breached the Rs 800 crore mark.

Responding to the discussion around international prospects for Indian cinema, Vijan pointed out that Bollywood still has a long way to go when compared to Hollywood. “There are international films that have spent time and effort to build an international market, which requires money, so we have to work on it. Everyone says content is king, but a very wise man told me that distribution is God,” Vijan added.

He further reflected on changing audience habits and the evolving nature of content. “I believe that any content that breaks out globally first explodes in its own region,” he shared. According to him, the post-pandemic era demands stories that appeal to the common man.
“I know city people do not come to the theatre on Fridays and Saturdays. I’m talking about the main cities. I think they wait to be sure it’s good because it’s expensive and requires time. For the last 10 years, we have wanted stories about ourselves. And India is the only country with such a rich culture,” he stated.
Vicky Kaushal's 'Mahavatar'
Vijan also spoke about his upcoming project 'Mahavatar', which he described as the most ambitious film under his production banner. The epic centres on Chiranjeevi Parashurama, with actor Vicky Kaushal playing the lead role. “We are attempting to make Mahavatar, which is the biggest film we have ever made. And we are making use of the technology available to create a world-class film,” Vijan said.
He concluded by emphasising the need for international collaboration to elevate Indian cinema's global footprint. Distribution, he said, is the ultimate game-changer in taking local stories to a global audience.