Runaway Lugai, A Slur On Web Content, And Bihar!

Runaway Lugai (MX Player10 Episodes). Directed by Avinash Das

Rating : ½ star

Without even  trying too hard Runaway Lugai(the word for  a bride) succeeds in insulting a  whole civilization  and  humanity. To begin with , it  insults our intelligence  by  trying to dress up cheap libidinous  pothots (such as son Naveen Kasturai on his  suhaag raat asking father Sanjay Mishra  if the latter has ever had sex) as  humour.

 It then  insults seasoned actors  like Sanjay Mishra, Naveen Kasturia(remember his excellent comic timing in  Pitchers?), Pankaj Jha  and  Ravi Kishan who should remember he is  a member of the ruling party. Such undignified  projects  reflect badly on his  political allegiance.

 The  series which is like  an extended  ragging session with the gags  borrowed  from the dark web section on  ‘How To Kill Audience With  Ribaldry’, is set in Bihar and was shot in Patna and  neighbouring  areas. Sanjay Mishra whose family home is two streets away  from mine, should be ashamed   of  being part  of  this sleazy series which shows  Biharis  speaking  in that weird way which got patented during the Lalu regime.  Now it’s  impossible to get rid  of that image.

 Serials such as  this  only add to  the dismal  image of  Bihar as  a den  of  cheesy  antics , petty criminals  and paan-chewing corrupt  politicians. Kasturia’s wife Bulbul  played by  Ruhi Singh seems a  thirst cousin  of Fatima Sana Sheikh in Ajeeb Dastaans. She  just can’t  enough of it.  If you know what I mean.Not from her poor husband who tries hard.But Bulbul is  insatiable.She ups  and  leaves , triggering off a cheesy chase and a horny hunt-down  that involves a bunch of  leery cops, and sundry  elements  that  suggest a deep-rooted connection  between  politics and sex.

Sanjay Mishra  as  the  runaway lugaai’s  leery father-in-law seems akin  to Kulbhushan  Kharbanda  in Mirzapur.Small North -Indian  cities  mean  cheap clandestine forbidden sex?  Should  I as a Bihar take offence  to the  excesses  indulged in  by the  architects  of  this roadside tamasha? Runaway  Lugai is like   one of those  plays staged on Diwali night for drunken revelers  where men dress up as women to ensure  no member of  the audience(pun intended) jumps  off  the seat.

Every actor seems to be in this for  a   lark, and few lakhs.Let me  remind them that  web serials are no longer a playground for puerility. You can’t put anything you want in  that space just because some producer wants make a quick buck by indulging in a fast f…k.Disgraceful.