Kunal Kemmu on Lootcase: Film would have got its due

Kunal Kemmu in Lootcase

"Box office could be quite a gamble. Lootcase, had it released in theatres, could've been a dark horse that would have picked up due to word of mouth and become a sleeper hit," starts off Kunal Kemmu, as we sit down over a Zoom call to discuss his much-loved comic caper from 2020. We start off with a discussion on whether the film would've perished far too easily had it opened in theatres. Like Kemmu says, one would never know what could've been the fate of the film. But the reality remains that the film was amongst the most-loved offerings of the year, showing the audience a good time in a year that was largely sombre The actor has been nominated in the Best Actor (Film) category at Mid-day and Radio city, Hitlist OTT Awards.

Kemmu says that though it was a film that had a seen-before vibe, its simplicity was charming. "A common man finding a bag of money is a story that's been told quite a few times. But writing is unadulteratedly funny. My character's relationship with the bag stood out on paper as well. The beauty of this film is that the right kind of people got together to make the right film."

It was the biggest high for him when Mr Amitabh Bachchan sent him a handwritten note praising his work. "I had waited for a performance that would earn me a letter from him. I had met him right after he'd seen the trailer and he remembered the lines. To have Big B say I did something right, is the high point of the film for me."

For a film that's so pure in its intention, it did go through its own traumatic journey to the finish line, including the stars of the film not invited to a press conference hosted by the platform. Kemmu had tweeted at the time saying, "Izzat aur pyaar maanga nahi kamaya jaata hai. Koi na de toh usse hum chhote nahi hote. Bas maidaan khelne ke liye barabar de do chhalaang hum bhi oonchi laga sakte hai (sic.)" Is there a level playing field now? "It's still too early to gauge. Level playing field won't be easy to achieve. We all have to work together without mudslinging. When I tweeted, I wanted to initiate the dialogue without fear of losing work. I did feel a sense of hurt and these were the best words I could find."

Does the actor feel he doesn't get his due? "Mine becomes frustrating at times but I don't want to get stuck in the trap of negativity. I work on myself and try to do a great performance and earn more work. I can't change Favouritism or nepotism but I put blinders on. I don't want to get into a negative zone. This is a business built a certain way. Malpractices and wrong doings aside, actors are signing up for the slogging that entails the nature of show business."

Did you know?
The movie was apparently initially signed by Varun Dhawan, but he dropped out due to a busy schedule

Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards
Kunal Kemmu has been nominated in the Best Actor (Male): Film category for Lootcase. The other nominees are:
>> Adil Hussain: Pareeksha (Zee5)
>> Amitabh Bachchan: Gulabo Sitabo (Amazon Prime Video)
>> Anil Kapoor: AK vs AK (Netflix)
>> Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Serious Men (Netflix)
>> Vkrant Massey: Cargo (Netflix)

Log on to www.hitlistottawards.com to cast your vote.

You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.

Voting lines close on February 9.