Lootera

This is my first review in IMDb.

I went to this movie without any expectation and because of my wife. I was completely blown away by the class of this movie. Direction, music, cinematography and acting by all the actors were top class.

I was not a fan of Ranvir Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha. However after watching this movie, I've changed my mind. I believe this is their best performance.

Arif Zakaria, Pakhi's father and Adil Hussain impresses in supporting role.

Do not miss this movie. I'll rate this 8.5 out of 10.

VjMOVIEW: Highly Recommended

Length: 142 minutes Genre: Romantic Drama Director: Vikramaditya Motwane (VM)

Target Audience: Strictly for those who prefer serious and meaningful cinema which has no scope for commercialized treatment Parallels of the Movie: Raincoat, Fanaa

(Read more at www.vjmoviews.com)

How often have you seen a meticulously detailed artistic movie appealing to a romantic genre. May be, not yet. If you wish to experience such a cinematic gem, welcome abound to the world of Lootera.

Lootera sounds like a simple story line. A con-man(Ranveer) imposters himself as an archaeologist to visit the Manikpur village in West Bengal only to plunder away with the ancient wealth of local Zamindar. While doing so, he falls in love with the daughter(Sonakshi) of zamindar. Placing his professional duties above his personal commitments he decides to leave Sonakshi on the day of their engagement never to come back. However, the two meet again a year later under intimidating circumstances only to give way to their undying flame of love. Quite antithetical to their characters in previous movies, the lead cast dons an entirely different roles this time. Sonakshi is no longer our loud mouthed and pelvic thrusting blubbery lady and Ranveer is the poignant soul exercising restraint in all his mannerisms. Amidst all this, the two come out with flying colours in their performances and on- screen chemistry.

While, the script and screenplay are penned down with utmost craftiness, it's the Execution which raises the bar. There are myriad emotions downplayed in words but amplified with gestures between Sonakshi and Ranveer. Some scenes worth mentioning are: the painting scene in which Sonakshi teaches the art of painting to Ranveer; the chase sequence between Ranveer and cops. And as Ranveer mouths his bucket list to Sonakshi in one of the scenes, he indeed proves it to us- It was a masterpiece in his career.

VM has shown that he is a rare breed of horse who belongs to an altogether different stable of Bollywood. He sure has a penchant for leaving his audience with an optimistic and cheerful face in the climax. And, as for the music, while I write this review, the triumphant background score still resonates in my mind. Kudos to you, Mr. Amit Trivedi. You have proved yet again that you are here to stay. At last, a movie this year which could get a tear roll down my cheeks.. :-)

(Read more at www.vjmoviews.com)

"What is a film all about?" asks Aniket Mazumdar in Rituparna Ghosh's Abohoman . Apratim (his son) replies "Depends. Moments maybe!". It seems that Vikramaditya Motwane has done mastery in creating those moments. He first was an assistant of Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Devdas then did something as a choreographer and also played a part of screenwriter for DevD . Then came his first film Udaan in 2010 for which he had already written the story in 2003 but couldn't make a movie out of it as there were no producers to back him up. According to him that struggle was a blessing in disguise as he got his film released on a large scale which he had not even imagined. Udaan made me spellbound and won many accolades and after its success Vikramaditya with his Lootera proved that it was no fluke. He is a genius in creating moments which defines a movie. Lootera is a movie which shows cinematic brilliance on screen and apparently it brings a smile on your face as it is full of magical moments. It is really hard to describe those in words that is why I am not reciting any of those. Who said that the Romance genre has died in Bollywood. The first half of the movie is freshly written but the second half which was shot in Kashmir is adapted from O'Henry's short story The Last Leaf. Set in 1953-Manikpur it is a story of an ageing zamindaar who is struggling with the new law, which the government forbids everyone to do zamindaari. He loves her daughter Paakhi (Sonakshi Sinha) more than his life. And then comes Varun Srivastava (Ranveer Singh) with his friend as an archaeologist to find some remains of a dead civilization under Paakhi's father's land. It is then the joyride begins with so much detailing which is handled by Vikramaditya very efficiently. Each and every sequence of the movie is like a moving painting and is well shot that it feels so stunning and vivid, be it the Kashmir or the Manikpur part. Packed with powerful performances of Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha the movie ends up being a treat to watch with its supporting cast also doing a great job. It may well be the career defining performance of both the protagonists. Ranveer and Sonakshi puts their heart in the movie and proves a fact that, Yes they also can act. Lootera also demonstrate a fact that wonders can happen when two geniuses are involved in the same project. The second one being Amit Trivedi. This guy just cannot disappoint you. He is getting better and better with each movie. If the movie is a moving painting then Amit Trivedi's music and background score are canvases of it with Shikaayatein and Manmarziyaan being so infectious. The movie works in every department and it is a very rare movie nowadays where the second half doesn't disappoint you. Yes there are some weak points in the second half but they are a few in numbers or negligible as compared to the good parts. Many of you may want to cry or some of you may get disappointed after watching the climax but it brought a smile on my face as Varun smiled after falling off the tree in the last part of the movie. I just felt love in the air. Love between Paakhi and Varun. The magical climax couldn't have made an impact as it did without the Zinda Hoon Main song. I am going with 4 stars for Lootera. Watch it for two geniuses and two future stars of Bollywood.It certainly is the best movie of the year and much much better than the trash that the industry has produced in the name of a love story.

P.S:-Do yourself a favour by not missing Lootera on the big screen. 4/5

Lootera is a beautiful art of its own kind. Its light,expressive,warm,kind of romance drawn on a huge canvas. A love tale of two people following a new age period cantata. Roughly based on short story "The Last Leaf" by 'O.Henry'. The movie follows a slow yet powerful romance. The movie has comparatively less dialogues and more of creating an beautiful aura around with its expressions. Vikramaditya Motwane (Udaan Fame) has painted a beautiful canvas to show the world that simplicity is more powerful than anything subject. Sonakshi Sinha as Pakhi is top-notch, she is the heart and soul of the movie. Ranveer singh (Varun) is great, he lacks punch in 1or2 odd scenes but overall an actor to look out for.

Very rare comes an art film which handles a potential of standing tall for any commercial cinema.Lootera is an "MASTERPIECE", yes the movie has its flaws to an minimal margin but proves very powerful overall. Amit Trivedi add the perfect tune to make it delightful. Cinematographer Mahendra Shetty is the real hero to captures and portray each and every expression to its perfection.

Watch Lootera for sure. Cheers !!!

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.