Amar Kaushik's horror-comedy Stree 3 has set the Indian box office ablaze, collecting a staggering ₹85.4 crore on its opening day — the highest single-day collection for a Bollywood film in history, surpassing the previous record held by Jawan.

A Cultural Phenomenon

The Stree franchise, which began as a modest ₹26 crore production in 2018, has grown into one of Hindi cinema's most beloved horror-comedy universes. Starring Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, and an expanded ensemble that now includes several top-tier Bollywood cameos (details of which the studio is keeping under wraps for now), the third instalment carries the full weight of audience expectation — and appears to have delivered.

Advance bookings had already crossed ₹42 crore three days before release, an industry record for a non-franchise Hindi film, with multiplex chains reporting houseful shows across tier-1, tier-2, and even many tier-3 cities.

Critics and Audience Response

Early reviews from critics have been overwhelmingly positive, with particular praise for the screenplay's blend of genuine scares, absurdist humour, and surprisingly poignant moments. The film currently holds a 94% audience approval score on BookMyShow, with multiple user reviews citing spontaneous applause during key scenes.