Lootere(Season 1)
Introduction
The unexpected end here has got to be one of my favourites for a Hindi show this year! But sadly, the buzz of such a high quality show has been successfully tamed down by Hotstar, an OTT platform which is a repeat offender of killing the vibe of a show. The marketing team of Hotstar has got to be the worst, reducing their viewers to numbers in hope that a weekly episodic format would bring them back to the platform. And perhaps the model might be working too but it is an utter disservice to the shows that premiere on their platform wherein at the end of the day, nobody benefits from it given the low, or rather declining buzz. And the latest casualty here is Lootere wherein 8 episodes of the show were spread across 7 long weeks. As a result, the buzz on the social media is low which is such a shame given that the show boasts of some high quality production design, top notch writing and classy performances! But here I am doing my bit to comvince you to not miss Lootere at any cost, stick around for my detailed thoughts on Lootere(and may I add that reviews like these are tough to frame given how fragmented you feel while witnessing one episode per week for 2 months, but here goes nothing!).
Story & Screenplay
The first season of Lootere follows the story of a hostage situation following the hijack of a ship off the coast of Somalia, comprising of an Indian and Pakistani crew. Will they make it alive? The story here goes beyond the usual hostage drama by also dabbling on the vested interests of all the stakeholders, even a gruesome shift in the power threatens to derail the entire rescue mission. And hence, politics of the land which is on the brink of a civil war plays a key ingredient in the overall scheme of things while shaping a dark future for the terrorized country of Somalia. The screenplay standing at 8 episodes ranging from 30 odd to 40 odd minutes each is thrilling and compelling while creating a unique world of terror wherein you could cut the tension with a knife. Yet, what seemed like a predictable drama soon transforms into a Shakespearean tragedy of sorts, something that I did not expect.
The drama focuses on the world building early on, acquainting the viewers with the politics of the land featuring one of the protagonists, Vikrant Gandhi who wishes to stand for the elections in order to retain control of the port of Mogadishu. Like is the case everywhere, he has his set of challenges to overcome but Vikrant himself is no saint, almost coaxing the folks around him to re-elect him as the President, either by buying them off or threatening them for their lives. Elsewhere, a vessel in the sea comprising of a South Asian crew is subjected to a hijack off the coast of the poverty stricken country of Somalia who is host to its in bred pirates. The conflict begins wherein a simple rescue operation involving a bounty gets complicated wherein every stakeholder including Vikrant(whose cargo is on the ship) wishes to earn a quick buck.
The proceedings are engaging with a good amount of tension that is escalated through multiple sequences on the ship, either during the start of the hijack or with the building tension in the life of Vikrant who is somewhere party to the mishaps. As a crucial subplot, Vikrant is also tasked with tracking down the son of his house help, by his wife who slowly finds herself in a pickle owing to the escalating level of politics around her. The writers do not shy away from raising the stakes in the drama early on, wherein a character is suddenly killed off against the turn of the tide, in what was a game of a standoff. The internal conflicts arising on the ship, some within the group of the hijackers is nicely showcased, even as they continue to mistreat the crew members. On the other hand, a searing commentary on religion is briefly dabbled with, even as the tension mounts between its crew members. All of it is cleverly packaged in a tactful game of a power tussle wherein negotiations begin between the owner of the ship company and the pirates, with both parties having vested interests. And the slight power shift at around the halfway mark has telling repercussions on this astounding tale.
There are some thrilling sequences including the one involving the US navy who suddenly attack the vessel in a bid to eliminate the pirates. But the twists and turns in the drama continue to surprise you at every junctures, even as the writers maintain a strong emotional thread as an undercurrent in this rather layered drama. Yet when it did come to its final act, the writers go full throttle even as the drama takes some rather unexpected turns. I personally wasn’t expecting such a dark finale with the stakes in the drama being raised in what was a pulsating final act, perfectly representing the onset of civil war situation in Somalia. But the writers also keep in mind that the journey is personal and this is where the underlying emotional thread is activated wherein you are jolted by the turn of events. Overall, the writing is really good here and further elevated by a moving final act!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are understated but it did help that the characters spoke in a language which was familiar to them. And quite honestly, that added a lot of authenticity to the drama. Achint Thakker again scores in the music department with another rollicking number in the opening credits of the show. But the music mixed with a simmering BGM heightens the drama and maintains the levels of tension in the drama really well. The cinematography and production design is absolutely top notch, not relying too much on VFX while mounting the drama in what seemed like an actual ship. The frames captures the character traits of the characters really well through some tight closeups, whereas the wider shots are reserved for the combat sequences(a few of them, atleast). The editing is crisp and sharp and never allows any respite from the escalating tensions by any abrupt cuts along the way. Director Jai Mehta makes an impressive debut in his first full fledged series. And instantly you get to know that he is well aware of his craft by tactfully constructing the world of war-torn Somalia, infusing it with an interesting bunch of characters, creating a conflict and absolutely hitting home in the final act. His ability to create and maintain tension throughout the drama was a sight in itself, wherein he did not shy away from raising the stakes in the drama. The direction was incredibly good and this was a huge green tick in Jai’s report card.
Performances
The performances are imcredibly good by the ensemble cast and yet again a chunk of the credit goes to Mukesh Chhabra for handpicking actors who fit the characters so well. Siyabonga Stobgais as Ismael is sincere and earnest in his character which was heartfelt in many ways. Alino Katombe is pretty good. Geetanjali Gill as Satwinder is incredibly good and has her moments to shine. Aamir Ali as Ghulam is exceptional in combat sequences in an overall job done well. Harry Parmar as Zafar leaves a lasting impression, Nareshh Mallik as Gulrez is first rate. Abhishekh Khan as Mudit is an epitome of innocence and sincerity and he brings out his vulnerability really well. And hence, you do feel gutted with the fate of his character that required him to endure a certain sense of physicality too. Gaurav Paswala as Ruhaan has an amazing personality that shines even in some of the timid moments. His assurance as a performer can be attributed to the fact that he was often willing to play the perfect foil(while being beautifully restrained) even while scoring well with his expressions that made you want to root for him. And to be able to stand out amongst the crowd was a huge achievement wherein Gaurav scores really well with his performance that was natural to the core.
Preetika Chawla as Ayesha is terrific in every sense of the word, and she excels in her sole combat sequence too thereby leaving lasting impression. Chirag Vohra as Gupta is exceptional and his character will make you question his loyalty more often than not. Athenkosi Mfamala aa Koombe will make your blood boil, which means he is exceptional with his act. Gaurav Sharma as Bilaal is outstanding in an unassumingly deceptive character. Chandan Roy Sanyal as Ajay is delightful to witness in a character with streaks of eccentricity that made him unpredictable in many ways. Martial Batchamen as Karim is superb as the leader of the pack, often being subjected to his loyalty towards his group even as his character oscillates between being brutal and understanding. Rajat Kapoor as Captain AK Singh is righteous and very understated with his character who is a man of few words but speaks a lot between the lines. Amruta Khanvilkar as Avika is simply exceptional as a character fighting her own set of demons. She brings some wonderful emotions to the table in an incredibly sensitive performance. Vivek Gomber as Vikrant Gandhi is absolutely brilliant in a character with grey shades, so much so that you aren’t quite sure on which way would he swing in the next scene. Yet, Vivek never really loses the human angle of his character by demanding a bit of sympathy especially in the third act when everything goes south for him. This was a towering act and brilliantly showcased by an actor with a terrific range.
Conclusion
Comprising of phenomenal performances and an unexpectedly dark ending, the first season of Lootere is a thrilling hostage drama with an underlying layer of power and politics that makes for a brilliant watch. Available on Hotstar and Highly Recommended!
