Remember #DelhiBelly released in 2011? #NikhatKazmi of the Times of India five stars, and said – "All in all, Delhi Belly is a fine example of how the brightest and the boldest, when they pool in their talent, can create a film that is guaranteed to give you your money's worth, even as it re-writes all the moth-balled rules of an ageing industry. Enjoy the experience."
This week saw the release of a film coming from where #DelhiBelly originated. ASHOK’s FIVE brings you #Lootcase just released exclusively on #DisneyPlusHotstar. First time Director #RajeshKrishnan brings you an old story of how lady luck smiles on the underdog and then sets in motion a fortuitus sequence of events that has you in splits. A tad too long perhaps but some fantastic performances from a heavy-duty case makes it worth the while!
1. #KunalKhemu of the boyish looks and the amazing sense of comic timing plays Nandan Kumar, a printing press staffer who lives in a chawl along with his wife Lata (#RasikaDugal) and son Aayush(#ArynaPrajapati). He chances upon a suitcase filled with currency and life changes from being a harried husband to good tidings that come with a twinkle in the eye and a dance in each step. As he starts making some of the dreams of his family come true and lives in the happy and new world that he keeps to himself, the goons come after him and he gets embroiled into a cross-fire between rival gangs.
2. One of the best things about the film is the couple characterisation. While Nandan is the quintessential struggling-to-pay-rent chawl wala, caught between work place stress and a nagging wife and an equally demanding son, Lata is a pujari’s beti with very clear values and the opposite of an opportunistic husband. On the other hand, there is the passive-aggressive politician Minister Patil (#GajarajRao) battling his wits against Don Bala Rathod (#VijayRaaz) who spends his time observing animal behaviour on the #NationalGeographic channel and exhorts his lieutenants to subscribe to the same. #VijayRaaz is quite easily the most poker-faced actor in Hindi cinema today and it is a treat to watch him here. Remember the aircraft control tower scene from Dhamaal where he provides instructions to land the plane?
3. The rest of the cast is equally phenomenal. #RasikaDugal has come into her own and here she plays the constantly whining housewife who has already stitched the woollens in anticipation of the Shimla holiday that has been promised for long. #RanveerShorey is stellar as the hard-nosed Inspector #MadhavKolte. His den is an abandoned book-store which was probably the scene of a crime at some time.
4. #RajeshKrishnan teams up with writer #KapilSawant to do some fantastic work on the writing front. Some of the dialogues are brilliant. During the shootout, one of the goons asks Nandan “Tu kiska aadmi hai? Omar? Abdul?” Nandan is wide-eyed with fear and blurts out “Main toh Lata ka aadmi hun”. This is paired with some whacky fun. Sample the scene where Don Bala asks for the magazine that has slipped to the floor and Nandan hands him the NatGeo magazine! Nandan and his ‘affair’ with the red suitcase is also done well. He names the suitcase “Anand Petikar” and tells Lata that he is a boyhood friend.
5. At one level, #Lootcase is a raucous comedy; at another level it is a commentary on the class divide and at another level, it is also a satire on urban India. The ‘dirty’ talk between Nandan and Lata with reference to Chinese food is cute as well as funny. Nandan’s employer awards him the award for ‘employee of the year’ and later asks him to join him for a drinking session. We discover that the boss has his own ‘Daddy’ problems.
I am sure the team of #Lootcase would have had a whale of a time making the film. The silly voice-over and the standard final fight scene apart, the film is a bold first attempt in over-the-top comedy and the cast deserve a standing ovation!
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