Producer hints that the horror-comedy could be an Independence Day or Christmas 2028 release

Producer Dinesh Vijan said on Wednesday that director Amar Kaushik has finished the script for "Stree 3" and that the film will arrive in theatres in 2028.

Released in 2018, "Stree" was an instant hit and set off Vijan's horror-comedy universe, which now includes "Roohi", "Bhediya", "Munjya", "Stree 2" and "Thamma".

Kaushik will first direct the mythological drama "Mahavatar", based on the story of Bhagwan Parshuram and starring Vicky Kaushal, before turning to "Stree 3".

Speaking on the second day of FICCI FRAMES, Vijan described Kaushik as the most integral part of the "Stree" and horror-comedy franchise. He said the director begins his most ambitious film, "Mahavatar", at the end of January and completes it by June. "Stree 3" is then expected to go on floors at the end of next year.

Vijan said Kaushik has already written the third chapter but would not reveal its story, joking that the director feels he gives away too many spoilers. Audiences will get everything they loved about the earlier films, he said, while where the story begins and ends will be "a complete revelation". He added that the film could make a nice Independence Day or Christmas present in 2028.

Rajkummar Rao, the lead actor of the "Stree" films, recalled that the horror-comedy started as a "small, very independent film" before growing into one of Hindi cinema's most successful franchises. The team had great faith in the story and in Kaushik's hilarious presence on set, he said, and that camaraderie and energy showed on screen, as it did again in "Stree 2".

Rao also remembered how nervous Kaushik became when the first "Stree" started earning around Rs 70 to 75 crore. The director was worried that such success was coming with his very first film, while Rao told him it was a good thing and that people were loving it. The love the film received was "insane", Rao said, adding that Kaushik was far more prepared for the huge success of "Stree 2".