Lootera is poetry in motion
Pakhi (Sonakshi Sinha) looks coyly at the handsome man(Ranveer Singh) through the door, unsure if she should enter. He is completely unaware she is outside, lost looking at the blank canvas in front of him — the canvas on which he will try to teach her painting. She hesitates, her anklet clinks and their eyes meet with an awkwardness that only the hint of attraction brings.
Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera is full of such subtle, heartfelt moments. The movie feels like a tale from yore — the colors have a hint of sepia , the voices are soft and the music is subdued melody. Together, they pull you into the era of 1950s Bengal, where the movie is set. The cinematography is gorgeous and makes you feel that you have walked into a book where the city of Dalhousie and the snowfall are important characters.
Lootera is the story of Pakhi, a demure, yet fiesty girl raised by a doting Bengali father and Varun, a calm, sophisticated archaeologist who looks every bit the vintage gentleman, wearing hats and shirts with suspenders. What starts off as a gentle story of love blossoming between two people, slowly grows into something more and touches the themes of regret, heartbreak and redemption.
Motwane gives a masterclass in directing with the beautiful frames, the mood and the actors’ body language taking the story forward, not the words. Ranveer and Sonakshi are exceptional in their roles and easily give their career’s best performance till date.
The camera lingers, the love simmers and the regret ponders in this poetic masterpiece by Motwane. Truly magnificent!
