Hotstar’s Special Loot: Skip or Live?

Hotstar’s latest show Lootere takes you into the underworld of Somalia, where crime is rampant and law and order has taken a backseat. The show is about Somali pirates (no, they’re not as stupid as Captain Jack Sparrow), whose lives are inherently miserable. According to reports, the film is based on a real incident in 2017, when an Indian ship was also hijacked by pirates in Somali waters.

The first scene of Lootere previews the excitement, adventure, cat-and-mouse chases, action-packed sequences and plenty of adrenaline rushes that will ensue. Many local Somalis were running towards the coast, some carrying ammunition. It looked like they were all on a mission. The captivating background music adds to the sense of urgency the makers are trying to create.

The first protagonist we meet is Vikrant (Vivek Gomber), an Indian businessman who has spent his life in Somalia, but suffered local discrimination and hatred. Before you start sympathizing with him, it’s worth mentioning that there may be other reasons for this: he’s the chairman of a port organization with a lot of illegal activity going on under his banner. Of course, that’s not to mention that he’s a mercenary bastard whose emotional fuse has been removed. He relied strongly on the philosophy of his father-in-law (from whom he inherited an illegal business empire) that it was better to be a king in hell than a servant in heaven.

Vikrant is vying for the port chairmanship and needs huge sums of money to attract votes and repay loans. One such piggy bank he relied on was a Ukrainian ship that was transporting an illegal cargo for him to Mogadishu in Sonalia. The ship has a crew of 13, including the brutish captain (Rajat Kapoor), a Pakistani crew member and two women – one of whom is pregnant.

As information about the illegal cargo on board got out, Vikrant’s enemies prepared to report the situation so that the ship could be inspected when it arrived in Mogadishu, nullifying Vikrant’s term as president.

One of Vikrant’s partners offers a unique solution to hijack the ship before it reaches the enemy and retrieve the priceless cargo en route: Vikrant agrees without even hearing the entire plan accepted this proposal.

Thus, a series of thrilling plots began.

Lootere Review: The cast’s nuanced performances

Vivek Gamber plays a corrupt Indian businessman in Somali waters

Luter’s actors do a great job. I particularly liked the captain played by Rajat Kapoor. While there’s not a lot of room for emotional diversity to explore, he displays the traits of a leader who knows how to keep his team calm in difficult situations. His characters also know how to deliver subtle sarcasm, even when the pirates are jumping around.

The performances of Vivek Gomber and Amruta Khanvilkar are also noteworthy. Amruta’s character will make you appreciate her bravery, while Vivek will make you feel every emotion: anger, hatred, frustration.

However, the character of Martial Batchamen Tchana blew me away. Even though he’s a pirate, his character has a surprising moral compass and calm composure. It brought respite from the antics of foreign actors in Indian commercial films and shows.

It would have been easy to screw up the show with fake accents and incorrect casting, but the makers have done a great job here.

Lootere review: A refreshing change in OTT in India

Lootere can be streamed live in seven Indian languages ​​on Hotstar

While there are plenty of crime thrillers out there, only a few dare to explore places beyond the heart of America and Europe or their over-the-top backdrops. Set in Somalia, Lootere offers a refreshing change with an interesting pirate cast. Some might even call it the African version of Uttar Pradesh or Bihar crime shows.

The series delves into the lawlessness in the region and the ongoing critical situation in the African country. While the show casually mentions the possibility of civil war, the producers don’t delve deeper into this territory. However, Lutrey is still likely to arouse viewers’ curiosity about the actual socio-political scenario in Somalia. There is a scene where young children are being trained in a pirate camp, and then they kidnap other children to enter the camp for recruitment.

Another Somali-esque scene that caught my attention was an organized dog fight, with people cheering and cheering for the dogs to triumph over each other.

Lootere Review: Final Verdict

Lootere is a new frontier for the Indian digital space and even cinema, which means less clichés. This is a good attempt by first-time director Jai Mehta.

Lootere has all the makings of a good thriller and will most likely have your heart racing in a bunch of scenes. The background score deserves special mention. The composers fit the music perfectly: I particularly like the Somali notes.

The show beautifully captures how humans desperately cling to every ounce of hope when their lives are in danger, from trying to attack without a plan to trying to side with the enemy.

The perspective of the poor Somali pirates is also an interesting concept to ponder. Even though they are the ones holding everyone at gunpoint, the makers didn’t forget to mention their plight and how they feel neglected by the government. It’s quite interesting to see pirates make human errors while on their mission.

Another noteworthy point that the play captures is the shortcomings of corrupt governments and the resulting inefficiencies. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal much on this without spoiling anything!

All in all, Lootere is a decent crime thriller worth watching.