Lootcase: Predictable, yet watchable

Film: Lootcase  
Director: Rajesh Krishnan
Cast: Kunal Kemmu, Rasika Dugal, Vijay Raaz, Ranvir Shorey, Gajraj Rao
Rating: **

Gurnaaz Kaur

There is a suitcase full of money, Rs 10-crore precisely, which you find abandoned on a road…what will you do? Sounds unreal? Or maybe more like a dream? That’s exactly how Nandan Kumar (Kunal Kemmu), a printing press worker in the movie Lootcase, which has been released on Disney+Hotstar, feels. To him it means the end of every problem in life. A better life for family, a comfortable home; good education for son, fun trips and, most importantly, no more nagging from the wife.

What he doesn’t realise is that the suitcase, which obviously is not white money, therefore a lootcase, will usher all troubles in his life. As Nandan begins his struggle to find a suitable place to hide the bag — considering he lives in a chawl where hiding so much money is a big task — there is a politician, some gangsters and a cop who are all on a mission to find the suitcase.

A major part of the first half goes in introducing Nandan’s life to us. There is his wife Lata (Rasika Dugal), who complains all the time of not having enough money to buy sugar or other basic things for home, yet loves him. His son Aayush (Aryan Prajapati) understands his father doesn’t have money, but that does not stop him from demanding things. Then there is an MLA Patil (Gajraj Rao), who knows how to get his work done — his USP is his passive-aggressive talking.

Vijay Raaz plays don Bala, who is obsessed with National Geographic channel and uses interesting wildlife metaphors in his conversations. And, can’t-be-missed-angry-young-cop Kolte (Ranvir Shorey) is engaged by MLA Patil to find the suitcase. So, the gangster wants the suitcase, the MLA wants it too and the cop has to find it. So far, it does make for an engaging start, but 40 minutes from there on the movie loses steam. What still makes it watchable though is the performance of its talented cast.

Kunal Khemu plays a commoner with flair and Rasika Dugal is 100 per cent believable. Gajraj Rao is brilliantly malicious even in the few dialogues he has; Vijay Raaz adds his panache to every scene he is seen in and Ranvir Shorey brings entertainment to the story with his seriousness.

Even the actors in small roles have performed very well. It won’t be wrong to say that the movie runs on the shoulders of its cast and not the story. The treatment is praise-worthy, but the plot is predictable and too stretched. In Rajesh Krishnan’s universe, the characters are etched well but the screenplay needed more work. Having said that, dialogues and comic timing score full marks. Watch Lootcase for the sheer brilliance of its actors.