Set in post colonial India with upheavals that the citizens are still getting accustomed to comes a tale of vulnerability, volatility and choices bound by circumstances - Lootera. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane after his critically acclaimed debut Udaan (2010), the film tells a story in a manner most Indian filmmakers have forgotten.
We are introduced to Pakhi (Sonakshi Sinha), the doe eyed daughter of a wealthy zamindar in the village of Manikpur, West Bengal. Upon a chance meeting, she encounters Varun Batra (Ranveer Singh), an archaeologist who is visiting her village temple to unearth a ‘forgotten civilisation’. He impresses Pakhi’s father who graciously allows his friend and him to stay in their home. Under the guise of painting sessions, longing glances and shy smiles, Pakhi and Varun start spending time together and fall in love. However, their ‘marriage is not one for the cards’ and we see Pakhi being left at the altar. Summer soon turns to winter and we find our once vivacious girl living in Dalhousie at her family’s estate; dejected, sombre and a shell of the woman she once was.
She spends her time cooped up in her room in a futile attempt to bring her lost passion to life - writing. Suffering from tuberculosis does not seem to change her grim outlook of life but instead prompts her to live with a sunken sense of hope awaiting her death. Days bleed into one another until a fateful morning when Varun strolls into her estate, to Pakhi’s surprise.
The sepia toned lighting that ebbs and flows during the beginning is a direct contradiction to its cold and jagged counterpart in the latter half of the film. Grief is well-represented in the Dalhousie's lovely landscape using the winter as a poignant backdrop.
Sinha in her best performance yet, shows feelings of curiosity, infatuation, love and betrayal, all through her eyes. A glance is all it takes to hook the audience and bring them into the world that the couple shares. Varun charms Pakhi with his boyish appearance, but is hesitant to verbalise his feelings.
Despite the changing seasons, one is not blind to the feelings that Pakhi still harbours for Varun years later. Although she may not voice it, her actions speak louder. Her decision to keep him hidden from the authorities, her residual anger slowly simmering away and her soft smiles towards him. Pakhi’s slow and gradual acceptance of him into her life again breathes life back into her and saves her from hopelessness. Singh’s hauntingly aching performance of Varun lends itself to the classic trope of being bound by choices and circumstances outside of your control. Although his rugged look exudes a rogue presence, his unwavering feelings for the woman he left behind culminates in his final act of love.
Lootera utilises its historical milieu with care and fastidious attention to detail rather than exploiting it. Mahendra Shetty pores over every detail with his camera. From the lace draped curtains to the mosquito nets, to the mansion’s sprawling interiors and the languid domesticity amongst the snow capped mountains, the camera does not falter in transporting the viewers to a period that lived to witness such a tale in its time.
By dovetailing their talents, Amit Trivedi and Amitabh Bhattacharya have created a masterpiece. The music takes you into a poetic trance filled with passion. Amidst the growing trend of sodden remixes, the album of this film nudges and sets the pace of the story. A musical mosaic is expertly woven from heartbreaking lyrics. The music creates a lyrical atmosphere for a period film with its unique appearance and semi-classical folk melodies.
Adapting stories and bringing them alive on screen is no easy feat. Especially one written by O Henry, The Last Leaf. However, Motwane narrates and adapts the tale into a period drama with humility, all while adding his distinct fingerprint to it. Lootera is a cinematic classic that can be added to his repertoire of films that leave viewers wanting more.
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