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Runaway Lugaai first impression: Naveen Kasturia, Sanjay Mishra fail to sail through this mess

Runaway Lugaai, of course, is light on its feet, and is intended to be a relief from the dark and dreary content on OTT platforms. But what is forgotten in the process is that the audience has become smarter.

Written by Arushi Jain
New Delhi | Updated: May 18, 2021 06:10 PM IST

4 min read

Runaway Lugaai is streaming on MX Player.

What’s common to Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhaan, Befikre, Pawan and Pooja and MX Player’s latest offering Runaway Lugaai? All of them offered an enticing trailer, but the final product didn’t fare well. Some trailers reel you in and keep you hooked until the show or movie hits screens. It is akin to ordering something from a food menu based on the pictures, only to get a bland, tasteless item that you consume because you paid good money for it.

The same can be said about Runaway Lugaai and this writer’s experience of watching the first three episodes. What appeared to be enjoyable on the surface is dull and cringeworthy. Though the makers call it a comedy-drama, it gets difficult to find a good reason to laugh. It is painful to hear jokes such as “Ye Marijuana hai, haan marriage-hua-na”, and a judge asking for Bhagvad Geeta in court, “Geeta laao” and his assistant replying, “Woh toh subah kaam kar ke chali gayi (she left after completing her work in the morning).” Didn’t think I would be saying this, but the repeat telecast of The Kapil Sharma Show is funnier than this mess.

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Rajinikanth aka Rajni (Naveen Kasturia) is a simple, sweet and gullible son of MLA Narendra Sinha (Sanjay Mishra). As a newlywed, Rajni hopes to spend time with his wife Bulbul (Ruhi Singh). But his father is keen on using him as a pawn in a bid to become an MP. Sinha sends Rajni away on his wedding night to take up his duty as a judge at a district court in Bihar and give judgements in a way that people vote in his favour. As a consequence, Bulbul runs away, and Rajni’s dreams of a happily-ever-after are shattered. Now, how will the submissive son break out of the control of his father and find his wife makes for the narrative of this MX Player show.

Also read | I don’t want to be a martyr to my career: Sanjay Mishra

The couple of moments when I giggled in the first three episodes is when talented Sanjay Mishra and Naveen Kasturia come together. The sheer brilliance of their performance did take away from the monotony of the plot. Their language, mannerisms and outfits, all were spot on. Mishra yet again proves why he is labelled as one of the gems of the Hindi film industry. Kasturia, fresh out of the success of TVF’s Aspirants, plays the role of Rajni with as much honesty with which he played UPSC aspirant Abhilash. Alas, despite their flawless performance, Mishra and Kasturia fail to sail through the storm of bad writing and execution.

Runaway Lugaai, of course, is light on its feet, and is intended to be a relief from the dark and dreary content on OTT platforms. But what is forgotten in the process is that the audience has become smarter, and you cannot present anything in the guise of humour.