Lootera

Years ago I watched Dev Anand's entertainer -Nau Do Gyaarah (perhaps my only start-to-finish black n white feature) ,the movie had it all:- drama, suspense, comedy, romance, action etc. Motwane's Lootera is one such flick, in the same genure (and no I haven't read the O.Henry book)... ... Prepared with a thick batter of emotions, spruced with romance ,garnished with suspense and drama with a tinge of comedy ,its a mouth watering dish u wont want to miss from Phantom-Balaji house this weekend . Great performances by both the leads (Sonakshi s a voluptuous surprise ;) , Ranveer 's show).. I was initially a bit sceptical with the star cast but both of em have been used pretty well ! Its a period movie with an old world charm to it all the way. Base a movie in Bengal and u already have half of my loyalty...brilliantly captured, mesmerizing cinematography..a beautiful canvas on the celluloid , good narration and a fabulous score by Trivedi are enough treats in store for any movie buff... I am going with a thumping 4.5* outta 5 for Lootera, its one movie that would be talked about for times immemorial and would be etched in the minds of those who are in love, and those who shall be. By the time u leave the cinema hall with moist eyes and the humdrum of the background score in ur head , u know Motwane has aced it yet again , a remarkable flight after another great -Udaan ..

P.S.-- If u have loved ur Bodyguards, Singhams , Cocktails ,high on testosterone - Bhatt factory products, and other Sallu Bhai stuff or are excited about SRK's Eid release..., chances are u would abhor this one, so better not go. Its sad to hear crass about a movie of such a stature

Neither "Pakhi"(Sonakshi) nor "Varun"(Ranveer) are the main character of this film. Now if you think that i am joking then you should watch it. For me the main character of this movie is SILENCE and it is something awkward for a Hindi movie nowadays but that's true. The whole movie is show through silence , eyes , facial expression , visuals, surroundings and last but most important background score. This movie is not going to create the kind of magic that "Udaan" did but its a different genre movie and very real. Now if you love to see a story not by dialogues but through expression then this is something you must watch and for other people just find two n half hour a real silence of their life.

If you love someone, saying with words is not necessary, when your eyes and your expressions can say it.. Loved it totally, Feel like watching another time, everything was perfect, eyes, expressions, smiles, weather, locations!!! What a movie!! Its totally different from Motwaane's Udaan, but has the similar gripping power over the audience. One thing i didn't like about it was that it was a bit overstretched.The last leaf concept doesn't look hokey and fits well with the script. The music is awesome and blends perfectly with the situations in the movie. Soulful concoction of sensitivity and sensuality without a bit of vulgarity is what is Lootera !!!

Love, in its purest and uninhibited form, has attracted many film-makers since time immemorial but somehow the thin line between sensitivity and melodrama gets blurred. "Lootera" is one such attempt which brings out the raw passion in its purest form without being too melodramatic that will go down as a classic in history of Indian cinema.

Story wise Lootera is an uncomplicated linear story of a con-man falling for a lady who is the daughter of a big zaminder in Bengal. The movie is about love, betrayal, redemption and falling in love all over again. It is the execution which makes all the difference. Motwane with his craftsmanship transcends this story into a visual imagery which strikes tune with the chord of audience's emotions. Even the social milieu of 1950s Bengal has been projected with dexterity when Zamnidari system was almost dying out & government devising laws to abolish the whole Zamindari rule. The inner turmoil of losing one's autocratic set-up & the luxuries all of a sudden indeed comes as a jolt & that has been depicted precisely. Even zamindar Roychowdhury at one point of time confesses to Varun about how he grew habituated with zamindari system & how difficult it is for him to shed it now. While Barun Chanda (who made his debut with Master Satyajit Ray's Seemabaddha) gave a commendable performance as the failing zamindar & a father of a lovely daughter; Sonakshi Sinha steals the show as vulnerable yet emotionally strong Pakhi who falls for a young archaeologist & then their lives turns upside down. Her expressive eyes conveyed the mature emotions in earthy fashion which helps to connect with the character that is in dilemma in accepting his lover after being betrayed once. It is often believed that good director brings out the best from all actors. I sincerely want to differ with this & wish to believe this lady is indeed talented with the hope of seeing Sonakshi Sinha doing more films like Lootera. Never expect the Dabbang & Rowdy girl to give such a restrained and mature performance. While Pakhi is a delight to watch, Ranveer's portrayal of Varun (real name is unknown till the end) grows on you slowly. The soft spoken guy with his boyish charm is an easy bet to win any woman's heart & Ranveer did a stupendous job in projecting the same. Like Sonakshi, his character also has layers of emotions which he delivers through his facial expressions and voice modulation albeit in a controlled manner. Vikrant Massey as Varun's friend Devdas Mukherjee & Adil Hussain as Inspector Singh complimented the acting of the lead pairs thus elevating the proceedings. Arif Zakaria, Divya Dutta & Dibyendu Bhattacharya shines in small roles.

... "Silence" plays a crucial role in this epic love story. In real life we often use silence to convey thousands of emotions. It's true that sometimes silence speaks more than words & that what makes Lootera stand out from other films of this genre.

The real heroes of the film are Vikramaditya Motwane & his technical team. After delivering the classic Udaan, Motwane hits the bull's eye with "Lootera". Unlike the dark proceedings of his debut film he chooses one of the most basic emotions called "Love" & merges some thrilling elements to create a brilliant film. O. Henry's short story "The Last Leaf" has been seamlessly merged in the second half which uplifts the sensitive depth of the climax. Shetty's cinematography compliments Motwane's vision thus creating an awesome painting in celluloid. Purulia looked astonishing & the intrigued photography is probably one of the best in recent times. Credit goes to Deepika Kalra for editing the frames effectively. Rarely one witnesses such effective use of Block Shots in any mainstream cinema recently. The detailing in production design & lights needs special mention. Art direction is top notch. There is one particular scene where Varun is suffering from indecision of going ahead with his con job and at the same time expressing his love for Pakhi. As Pakhi enters his room there is a dim light everywhere except Varun's eye which shies away in darkness as if he is not able to confront himself.

There are many such master strokes in the film which needs more elaborate discussion. The film starts with an old story of a king whose life is stored inside a pet bird. The symbolism has been aptly used as Pakhi imbibes the story & start searching for that "pet bird" until she finds it in a Leaf. The leaf symbolizes the gradual decaying of Pakhi's health and the same time Varun's unconditional love for Pakhi that completes his life. Motwane & Iyer's screenplay did justice to Henry's short story while genius Kashyap's minimal usage of dialogs evokes the perfect ambiance for a classic setting.

Amit Trivedi & Amitabh Bhattacharya combo is always superb and then sealed their credibility with Lootera. One of best music of recent times, the setting actually helped in taking the story forward with the lyrics sometime playing the part of a narrator or giving an insight of protagonist's mind. The picturization of the song "zinda hoon yaar" had blown me away completely.

If cinema is one of the greatest medium to tell a story then Motwane knows it better than many of the directors at present whose ideas are contrived. A visual painting, an ode to Love, Lootera is a must must watch for those who are seeking good cinema within mainstream domain. The film obviously wont set BO by fire (neither any of the classics ever did) but will go down in the history as a timeless classic.

Udaan & Lootera–Motwane, Sir take a bow!!Other directors should learn to use colors in films like Motwane does that never looks like Plastic. Encore!! Encore!!

P.S-AnuragKashyap always supports great films.This time along-with him,thanks to EktaKapoor for believing in Motwane's vision & helping him to paint his canvas so beautifully.

First of all to begin with i would say that this is romance in its purest of form and Mr. Motwane did it again after his masterpiece Udaan .... form , execution , structure , text , dialogues , score and music works perfectly......... Chemistry between Ranveer and Sonakshi works on various levels and the poetic yet realistic treatment of subject and enigmatic approach towards matter gave the two perfectly written characters... First half is an amazing look into Indian history along with doomed romance which would have given birth to beautiful things but wasn't destined to prosper...... second half is the look into the consequences of the choices and is way too dark and realistic in comparison to the fairy-tale approach of first half........

Might be too 'different' for mainstream audiences , but this movie have one thing that most of the movies now a days from Bollywood lacks , Class....

if you want to witness sheer romance and meditate silence and feel the warmth and cinema is the medium that does this the best for you..... then Lootera is the thing for you.....

Anurag You Are Great!

Balaji thanks for backing up this classic timeless piece of work

And for Mr. Vikramaditya Motwane i would say.... keep Em coming man.....you are the future!