On Rajesh Krishnan This is not a Lootcase 2: ke andar race, ki ek saal nikaalo second part

Filmmaker

RAJESH KRISHNAN,

Rajesh Krishnan’s first feature film, Lootcase, was the sleeper hit of 2020, and with murmurs now about a second part being in the pipeline, the director says ideas are indeed being explored.

“You have to look at every project on its merit; if the story can stand on its own two legs. I am sure every time Rohit Shetty (filmmaker) makes a sequel to Golmaal, he evaluates apne aap mei kahaani sahi hai ya nahin. It’s easy to fall into the trap [and think] that after the original, regardless of how the second one is, people will come to watch, thinking Rohit ki films mein stars honge,” he reasons.

Giving another example of a popular film’s sequel, he adds, “Raju (Rajkumar Hirani, filmmaker) made Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), a sequel to Munna Bhai MBBS (2003). The way they looked at it was if it could stand on its own. That’s the standard we are trying to put into Lootcase 2, there are ideas.”

The Kunal Kemmu-Rasika Dugal starrer had released last year on an OTT platform, amid controversy that the platform didn’t give the film much publicity. That it went on to perform well is another

Still from Lootcase

story. Krishnan says he isn’t trying to hide or reveal anything at this point. “This is also art, not just business. It’s not a race ki ek saal ke andar part 2 nikalo! Neither Raju nor other guys, who have made successful films, looked at something and said we have to release the next part within six months,” he says.

The film fetched the filmmaker a lot of praise. Recalling one phone call in particular, he shares, “In a week’s time after the release, I got a call from a strange number, and he asked, ‘Am I speaking to Rajesh Krishnan?’. I said yes. He said, ‘Fantastic film, congrats,’ and introduced himself as Aamir Khan. We were in lockdown, everyone was frustrated, hence I thought someone is screwing around. I said that and he laughed, adding that he will video call. It was Aamir! He said he enjoyed the film. We have worked together before on some commercials. Suniel Shetty and Vidhu Vinod Chopra called, too.”