Rashmika Mandanna and Ayushmann Khurrana’s Thama is the latest entry in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, or the MHCU. Dinesh Vijan’s MHCU project has quickly become one of the most-awaited film franchises in Bollywood today. Starting with Stree and ending with Doosara Mahayudh, Vijan’s films will blend Indian folklore with horror-comedy filmmaking. But what is the correct order or timeline of these films? Read on to know more.
Stree is the first instalment of the franchise and is directed by Amar Kaushik. It stars Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, alongside Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee.
Bhediya, the second instalment, was directed by Amar Kaushik as well. The film stars Varun Dhawan alongside Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee, Deepak Dobriyal and Paalin Kabak.
Munjya, the third instalment, was directed by Aditya Sarpotdar. The film stars Abhay Verma, Mona Singh and Sharvari.
The fourth instalment and direct sequel to Stree was directed by Amar Kaushik. Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana returned for the sequel.
The fifth instalment in the franchise, titled Thamma, stars Ayushmann Khurrana. The film is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar.
It was announced that Kiara Advani would enter the MHCU with the project Shakti Shalini. However, Advani opted out to focus on her newborn daughter and was later replaced by Aneet Padda. The film will be released ahead of Christmas next year.
The sixth instalment and a sequel to Bhediya, titled Bhediya 2, is in the pipeline, with Amar Kaushik returning as the director and Varun Dhawan reprising his role. Kriti Sanon might reprise her role as Dr Anika from Bhediya, despite her character’s supposed death in the film.
The eighth instalment in the franchise, Chamunda, will reportedly star Alia Bhatt in a lead role with Akshay Kumar reprising his role from his appearance as the last living descendant of Chandrabhan (Sarkata) in Stree 2. The film is set to release in December 2027.
The ninth instalment in the franchise, Stree 3, will feature Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Banerjee and Aparshakti Khurana reprising their roles. Akshay Kumar will be the main antagonist, as per reports.
The tenth instalment in the franchise and a sequel to Munjya, Maha Munjya will see Abhay Verma and Sharvari reprising their roles as Bittu and Bela, respectively.
The eleventh instalment in the franchise, Pehla Mahayudh, will serve as the first part of the two-part finale for the current phase of the franchise.
The twelfth instalment in the franchise, Doosara Mahayudh, will pick up directly from the events of Pehla Mahayudh. The film will bring together characters from all previous instalments for a climactic showdown in 2028.
