Toaster introduces us to Ramakant (Rajkummar Rao), who is a man defined by his extreme stinginess. He lives with his wife, Shilpa (Sanya Malhotra), who is a black belt in judo, in a rent-controlled apartment in a quaint society filled with senior citizens.
Shilpa, irate at Ramakant`s frugality, nudges him into buying an expensive toaster worth Rs 5,000 as a wedding gift for her Guruji`s daughter. When the wedding is called off at the last minute, Ramakant visits Guruji`s house, learning to his dismay that all the gifts have been donated to an orphanage. He tries reasoning with the orphanage`s manager (Farah Khan), but he is told in no uncertain terms to get lost. Desperate to return the toaster and get his money back, Ramakant stealthily enters the building after nightfall, grabs it, and escapes, but not before being spotted by the children and the guard. With the result that, the next morning, the police are waiting at his apartment to arrest him.
Ramakant and Shilpa are surrounded by Mrs D`Souza (Seema Pahwa), Glen D`Souza (Abhishek Banerjee) and Mrs Pherwani (Archana Puran Singh), who populate their film as their neighbours. The landlord Mrs D`Souza, is a well-intentioned lady suffering from acute constipation. Her other grievance in life is her wayward son Glen, who, when he`s not smoking a joint, is surreptitiously filming a Minister`s clandestine encounters with women to blackmail him. Frustrated by both, she pops off (Yes, that`s really what happens).
Things then start going downhill with a vengeance, and get much more complicated before the resolution arrives.
The film has many genuine laugh-out-loud moments, even as the plot grows increasingly convoluted, but the lack of a wider story to follow ultimately makes the film fall flat. Just as you are somewhat sold on the ride, the second half segues into an entirely ludicrous direction, with much hither and thither, after which it cannot be revived. Its novelty cast aside, it becomes predictable and stretched.
For me, it is the premise of Ramakant`s obsession with frugality hammered down our throats that does not land. Although Toaster is aware of its silliness, it does not have the bandwidth for such an outlandish flight of imagination. You want to lean fully into the absurdity because it is, after all, a wacky screwball-esque comedy, but it often pulls you out.
Rajkummar Rao has proven time and time again that comedy is his forte. Here, too, he kills it with his physical comedy, but his unscrupulous Ramakant elicits no sympathy within me. There`s a poignant scene where an unsettling episode prompts him to reflect with horror on the consequences brought by miserliness. You hope for it to spark genuine growth, but that scene is never brought up again, and he`s back to his default setting as he gets involved in even more deceit.
Archana Puran Singh really gets to show off her action chops, beyond being a decrepit and sorry figure. The same cannot be said for Sanya Malhotra, however, who is a natural on-screen but is not given a substantial role.
Ultimately, Toaster, though flawed, is a respite from the utterly brainless comedies being churned out. If you`re in search of a light, quirky laugh saga that embraces its silliness, Toaster can be a fit contender.
