Robber

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

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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.. :-)

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"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

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

In Genesis 37:9 the following statement is made: "And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me." Vikramaditya Motwane had stunned the critics with his poignant coming of age story 'Udaan'. He does that yet again in Lootera, justifying the feature length body to the soul of O Henry's petite plot. Loooera is like Van Gogh's "Starry Night" that is Picturesque and poignant at the same time. It takes a simple O Henry story – The Last Leaf, and adapts it to a period setting in Bengal and North East India. 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. It's a work of art - slow, deliberate and introspective. It's one of the best films you'll watch this year. It's a triumph of its director's vision, resulting in a win for the performances of its lead actors.

There's a sense of subliminal aesthetic familiarity when "Lootera" opens in the newly partitioned India of 1953. The unhurried ambiance of the olden days, the sureness of the camera's frame, the undiluted subtlety of the narrative – and decisively – the itching gut feel that it's not going to work out well in the end. The story is of an archaeologist Varun (Ranveer Singh) who comes for an excavation expedition on a piece of land that belongs to Pakhi's (Sonakshi Sinha) family. 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.

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. 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 tragic end is quite evident all through yet there is that ray of hope which clings on the last leaf.

Lootera uses silence and stillness wonderfully well. In such moments of repose, one can hear footsteps on a hilly pathway or a piece of paper being crumpled, and that is such a rarity in a Hindi film.

The two halves of Lootera are distinct chapters: the gold, russet and green of the Bengal landscape gives way to the pale, snowy, hilly heights of north India. Each is captured in muted hues by cinematographer Mahendra Shetty, whose contribution to the overall impact of the work is enormous.

Every actor in Lootera, irrespective of the footage he or she gets, makes an unmistakable presence. Coming to Sonakshi Sinha's performance, iIf you know her as the 100-crore girl who shakes and swings at the drop of a hat you're in for a surprise. Her nuanced act tugs at your tear glands. A good compliment to Sonakshi's anchoring performance is Ranveer Singh's underplay. He proves he's an actor to reckon with. And he does so despite having a character in shadow of Sonakshi's Pakhi. Supporting performances by Barun Chanda (playing Sonakshi's Zamindar father), Vikrant Massey (Ranveer's best friend) and Adil Hussain (the tough as nails cop) are all top notch too. Arif Zakaria, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and Shirin Guha make brief appearances but lasting impressions.

Lootera celebrates the past, mourns the demise of love, life and things of joy and beauty, but in the end affirms the primacy of the human spirit and the power of art to tide over the blows of fate.

Now the big question: why a film like Lootera is not working at the box office? The question is irrelevant. It wouldn't matter, at least from the critical point of view, even if it were to fail to get its point across to an audience captivated on Dabangg, Rowdy Rathore, Son of Sardar and suchlike. This is a "film". Appreciate it without the tags of commercialism (or lack of), or art, or new Bollywood. It's a beautiful poetry which is being recited, you either relive and resonate the spirit or, you don't.

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!