We all have different dreams and aims in life but one common dream for most is to get wealthy. But the reality of life is that despite slogging for years, most people are able to barely survive financially in today's world. Rajesh Krishnan’s comic caper LOOTCASE uses this as a crux and spins a funny story outof it.
LOOTCASE is the story of a common man who gets rich overnight. Nandan Kumar (Kunal Kemmu) resides in a chawl in Mumbai with his wife Lata (Rasika Dugal) and son Aayush (Aryan Prajapati). He works in a printing press and has a hand-to-mouth existence despite working hard and being the next contender for the ‘Kirori Mal Employee of The Year’ in his office. Once Nandan gets hold of the suitcase, the film goes on a high.Nandan, hasn’t done anything to arouse the suspicion of the police or even the gangsters. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Kapil Sawant and Rajesh Krishnan's story is nothing new and might remind of similar films in this space or genre like DELHI BELLY, EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL, PHIR HERA PHERI etc. But Kapil Sawant and Rajesh Krishnan's screenplay is highly effective. There are tons of funny moments in the film which will raise loads of laughs. Also, these comic scenes are not urban or niche and have a pan India appeal. A few developments however are unconvincing. Thankfully, the plusses outweigh the minuses. Kapil Sawant's dialogues are very witty and funny. In fact, the smart one-liners elevate impact considerably. Rajesh Krishnan’s direction is smooth and uncomplicated. There are multiple tracks in the film and all of them progress well. There’s no jerk in terms of sequence change.
LOOTCASE takes a while to settle. The initial 15-20 minutes are spent in introducing various characters. The scene where he is splurging for his family’s happiness is endearing. But it’s the supporting characters that really add to the humour tremendously. Whether it’s MLA Patil’s psychological tactic of getting work done or Bala giving references of animal’s scientific names and even promoting National Geographic to Kolte’s sarcasm and aggressive behaviour, most of these characters have unique traits that not only keep the interest going but bring the house down. The climax is maddening and it’s interesting to see how the humour has been kept intact. The final scenes raise lot of questions which are left unanswered but no complaints though. Kunal Kemmu delivers a genuinely fine performance. His comic timing is first-rate and he underplays his part very well. Rasika Dugal is lovely and plays the role of the righteous housewife to the T. She is the emotional backbone of the film and hence stands out from the rest. Gajraj Rao is excellent and the way he persuades others to get his work done will be loved. Vijay Raaz does his deadpan humourous act yet again but this time, he’s equipped with a novel character trait and that helps.The chawl scenes are especially well shot. One can feel the characters struggling to survive in a small space. Rateesh UK's production design is very authentic. The chawl and printing press look straight out of life and probably shot in real locations. And the book shop is a lovely set and well thought of. The beginning of second half, nothing in the film is unwanted or forced. On the whole, LOOTCASE is a highly entertaining and funny film which works due to its superb writing, smooth direction and effective performances.
0 comments:
Post a Comment