LOOTERA - A vintage love story with a ‘hatke’ climax that moved me to tears
Set in 1950s Manikpur in West Bengal, Vikramaditya Motwane’s love story Lootera potrays a very original and vintage era of Zamindars in Bengal.
The last leaf inspiration comes to life just after the interval, when Pakhi moved to a family guest house in Dalhousie after losing her father. As she struggles with her terminal illness and fights to get over the shattering memories of love, Varun comes back to her life. This time with a much intensely sketched Screenplay, the lead pair came closer and strived for each other. While Pakhi concentrated on completing her book and waited for the last leaf to fall, Varun gave her a flare to live her life one last time. Motwane very efficiently portrayed two doomed lovers stretching out of sphere and leading to a memorable climax frame.
Amit Trivedi did a craftsmen job to score the film with an ultra-sensitive scale, which touches viewer’s heart and promises to bring out every drop out of a cinematographic frame. The songs were very well placed and never expressed overwhelmingly spreading over the story-line.
Being a period film, Lootera’s director had everything from extensive research to money and he knew the 50’s feature length pace which had to be spread over a crux of ‘short plot’. But that definitely left some audience yawning and longing for more concrete play.
Still I shall move one step ahead to say ‘Lootera gave me poetry, classic cinematography and some touching tragic elements to be remembered’.
Edgy Ranveer Singh and classy Sonakshi Sinha looked like a perfect couple on screen whereas there love story was not so perfect. There’s attraction, longing, betrayal and death all tied together and knitted well with the story’s flow. Motwane’s creative input from Rabindranath Tagore and O Henry’s ‘The Last leaf’ as well film-making inputs from Satyajit Ray & Guru Dutt made the screenplay a true old-world cinematic experience for the viewers.
Set during the fading glory of zamindars in 1950 Bengal, Pakhi (Sonakshi) daughter of Zamnidar (Barun Chanda) gets introduced to Varun (Ranveer), an archaeologist - who comes into their lives with a hidden agenda. Pakhi being deprived of romance quickly falls for Varun. The couple’s love grows colourful during their painting sessions and their silent village strolls. But this is short lived as it soon comes to light that Varun was there only to take over the family's wealth. The lovers separated until they met again in Dalhousie years later. And this time Varun was much more affectionate to an ailing Pakhi and he even risks his life to make her smile one last time.
The lead pair’s on screen chemistry seemed remote during the first half of the screening. In contrast with the most promoted romantic scene between Varun and Pakhi, the scene where Varun tries to forcefully give Pakhi an injection and they display mixed emotions towards each other, shows a much more intimate chemistry between Ranveer and Sonakshi.
air came closer and strived for each other. While Pakhi concentrated on completing her book and waited for the last leaf to fall, Varun gave her a flare to live her life one last time. Motwane very efficiently portrayed two doomed lovers stretching out of sphere and leading to a memorable climax frame.
Amit Trivedi did a craftsmen job to score the film with an ultra-sensitive scale, which touches viewer’s heart and promises to bring out every drop out of a cinematographic frame. The songs were very well placed and never expressed overwhelmingly spreading over the story-line.
Being a period film, Lootera’s director had everything from extensive research to money and he knew the 50’s feature length pace which had to be spread over a crux of ‘short plot’. But that definitely left some audience yawning and longing for more concrete play.
Still I shall move one step ahead to say ‘Lootera gave me poetry, classic cinematography and some touching tragic elements to be remembered’.