Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha
Lootera is based on a century-old short story 'The Last Leaf' by American writer O Henry. Somewhere the short story has decent potential for a short film. But Vikramaditya Motwane is one filmmaker who knows how to extract maximum gratification out of minimalism. He proved that in his debut film Udaan and he does that again in Lootera, justifying the feature length body to the soul of O Henry's petite plot.
Set in 1953, the story is of an archeologist Varun (Ranveer Singh) who comes for an excavation expedition on a piece of land that belongs to Pakhi's (Sonakshi Sinha) family. Evidently Pakhi falls for the charming visitor only to face betrayal subsequently. Almost a year later, they chance upon each other and are stranded in a cottage amidst snowfall. Now Pakhi is taken over by mixed emotions towards the man while Varun seeks redemption.
Blame it to the giveaway title, but Lootera is a love story set on the backdrop of robbery. Nevertheless, romance always remains the mainstay with a subdued shade of mystery arising out of the burglary background. There isn't any conscious attempt to conceal the hints of an impending conspiracy in the first half, because somewhere the writers have set their genre priorities right. And thereby the screenplay substantiates the blooming romance with sparkling freshness.
The period setting not only lends the requisite chastity to O Henry's classic tale; it also essentially adds an old world charm to the romance. So love blooms over Dev Anand's enchanting songs and painting lessons where the teacher ends up turning into a student. The vintage Chevrolet cars, heritage haveli and fading royalty add to the aura. The chemistry between Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh is delicate, pristine yet searing.
Early in the second half, there seems to be a slight disconnection with the transition that comes in the plot. Also amidst chor-police chase sequences, the love story somewhere seems to go astray. Until the couple is marooned inside a log cabin under extreme weather conditions and in this confinement the love story opens up again. Under fear that the movie might get one-dimensional hereon, Motwane, on the contrary, brings out the core essence of romance in these penultimate portions.
The director clearly strikes the right chord with the audience and the sublime and surreal shade that he imparts to the story gives it a fairy-tale touch. The warmth he brings to the romance is directly proportional to the heavy snowfall in the midst of which the climax is set. The betrayal in first half and reunion of the duo in second half are clearly reminiscent of Kunal Kohli's Fanaa. The snowcapped settings just add to the recall value. Nonetheless, the coherence and simplicity that Vikramaditya Motwane brings to his film makes it more palatable. And thanks to the sensitivity in his direction, you overlook the shallowness in the story. The tragic end is quite evident all through yet there is that ray of hope which clings on the last leaf.
Technically too the film is a quality product. Amit Trivedi is one music director who almost always gets the regional nuances in his compositions correct. Even the background score is resourcefully expressive. Mahendra Shetty beautifully captures the scenic and snowcapped locations and the grainy texture added to the frames amplifies the period effect.
The film largely revolves around the lead pair and both are exceptionally good in their acts. Ranveer Singh underplays in the first half and is self-assured in the second. Sonakshi Sinha rises above her comfort zone, in a character that demands more than plain charm, and comes up with a fine act. Barun Chanda as Pakhi's authoritative yet affectionate father leaves as much impact as his heavy-base vocal chords. Vikrant Massey as Ranveer's friend makes a confident big screen debut.
While it has a lot of its own, Lootera will steal your heart too!
Verdict: Good
