Heist Review: Tense Hostage Drama | Web Series News
Bullet-‘s Lootere, in which a cargo ship containing a container of Ukrainian junk is hijacked by Somali pirates, may remind you of Tom Hanks’ piracy tale Captain Phillips. But the details of this eight-part web series are a monster all their own, as it intertwines with the actions of Indian-born businessman Vikrat Gandhi (Gomber), who sets out to kidnap his mastermind, RK Singh (Kapoor). The captain of the ship and his crew, and the pirates led by the step-ladder Barkhad (Bachaman) and his hot eyes.
Things backfire. bad. It leaves an embattled Gandhi trying to regain his position at Mogadishu’s port authority and his loyal right-hand man Gupta (Vora) between some rocky and difficult terrain. This makes Singh a prisoner on his own ship as he tries to stand as a buffer between his subcontinental crew, which includes two women, and mortal danger. And as it unfolds, things become more difficult for Barkhad as he tries to keep a sharp eye on the negotiations and prevent his men from turning into marauding beasts.
Based on the story by Anshuman Singh, Vishal Kapoor and Suparn S Varma’s difficulties in maintaining a tight if rewarding plot are evident in a few lines that feel out of place. A local boy, the son of a laborer in the Gandhi family, has disappeared. Mrs Gandhi aka Avika’s (Khanvilkar) decision-making is a constant distraction from getting to the bottom of the mystery. Similarly, the real estate occupied by Gandhi’s business partner (Sanyali) and his father is unnecessary, seemingly there only to multiply the episodes with a lengthy 45-50 minute duration.
But despite these silly sideshows, Lootere, which comes from the team of Scam 92 director Jai Mehta and showrunner Hansal Mehta, stays on course even when it’s laid back. The tension on the ship is maintained, which parallels the situation in the African country, which is on the verge of anarchy. Some of the lines have been adapted from Hindi films, but the Shailsh R Singh-led series remains mostly conversational and we remain invested.
And it has to do with an excellent ensemble. Gomber goes full-tilt camp with his Gandhi, yelling-screaming-chain-smoking, but never for fun. Kapoor as the captain who assures us that he will be the last man standing is solid. Sharma, as a mediator who wants to be on the winning side, makes a good necklace. Bachaman is great, making us wonder how some men do what they do. It’s a tense hostage drama that doesn’t dwell on danger and manages to keep the stakes high: I loved it, and Achint Thakkar’s addictive title theme is my latest earworm.
Predator Actor: Rajat Kapoor, Vivek Gomber, Chirag Vora, Martial Bachchan, Gaurav Sharma, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Amruta Khanwilkar
Lootere Director: Jai Mehta
Heist rating: 3 stars
(Two episodes aired on Disney+ Hotstar. Each of the remaining six airs every Wednesday at midnight)
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First uploaded by: 22-03-2024 16:27 IST
