Filmmaker Rajesh Krishnan, who made his directorial debut with the recently released “Lootcase”, says he has begun work on his next venture, an action-adventure-comedy. The project is a based on a book and a formal announcement will be made soon, the director said. “I am working on an action-adventure comedy. It involves elements of almost 7,000 to 8,000-year-old history, mythology to contemporary era. I believe I was born to make people laugh and this is something I will bring into the film,” he told PTI, adding the film is in its scripting stage.

Krishnan, a popular name in the ad world, believes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a comedy drama like “Lootcase” was a welcome break for the viewers. “Lootcase” follows a middle-aged family man (Kemmu), finding an unclaimed suitcase filled with money. He takes the suitcase and finds himself being chased by an honest cop (Ranvir Shorey), a minister (Gajraj Rao) and a notorious gangster (Vijay Raaz).

Krishnan, who co-wrote the script with Kapil Sawant, said they wanted to make a film that would make them laugh more than anyone else as they explored power dynamics in the society. “The idea of the film was to have a discourse on current thinking like ‘the one with money and power rule the world’. In our film, money is represented by the suitcase and power is represented by the file that has information. And information is today’s currency,” he said.

“As both, money and the file keep changing masters of the game, the equation and the power centres keep changing. New partnerships are formed, old ones are broken. Foes become friends and friends become enemies but everything is on temporary basis. It shows that it can make the ordinary man feel most powerful and the most powerful man, very ordinary,” he added. Raaz – as Bala Rathore, who is obsessed with the National Geographic channel and speaks in animal analogies – and Rao as the manipulative minister Patil, have received praise from both critics and audience.

“Bala Rathore’s character believes in this concrete jungle that every human being is guided by a certain animal spirit,” Krishnan said. For the role of Patil, the director said, the idea was to set a new benchmark for a conniving man. “The whole story is set in motion not because Nandan gets the suitcase, but because Patil wants it to be found again. So we figured this character would get work done by implying a threat and not by actually issuing a threat. Patil is a pivotal character,” he said.

Krishnan said he cast Kemmu, whose filmography boasts comedies like “Golmaal” films and “Go Goa Gone” , for his excellent comic timing, but believes the leading man’s most important contribution to the film was his silent expressions. “Kunal is a very good writer as well. Jamming with him for dialogues and styles of delivery is one of the sweetest memories Kapil and I will cherish.” “Lootcase”, a Fox Star Production, is streaming on Disney+Hotstar.