Movie Review: Lootera

First day, first show. And the first time I was seeing a movie alone. I had the entire half-row at the back to myself before a couple came in and wedged themselves into the khopcha (corner). The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag trailer looks promising. Finally, I see the CFCB certificate for Lootera.


Lootera is a story of stories. Portions of the movie are based on the short story The Last Leaf, by O. Henry. Pakhi (played by Sonakshi Sinha), the daughter of a wealthy zamindar, grows up listening to stories from her father and wants to write stories (Udaan's protagonist was also a wannabe writer). The story of the temple-idol-robbery is something we have read in innumerable Amar Chitra Kathas – here the thief Varun is played by Ranveer Singh with charm and conviction.

Vikramaditya Motwane has such a rich canvas of stories to work on, which is perhaps why he doesn't use too much dialogue. We know how the old stories go. But the result of this is that we're left with a film that has rich visuals, brilliant music, good performances that leaves a bit too much unsaid.

Varun is the handsome thief posing as an archaeologist in zamindar Roy Chaudhuri's  house in the early 50s (costumes and sets are spot on). We know from the very beginning that Pakhi - the beautiful, well-read and rather friendless girl will fall in love with Varun. Their relationship slowly blossoms in the backdrop of picturesque Manikpur. Motwane devotes most nearly all the songs in the first half to their romance, but it post-interval that their chemistry is crackling. 

The Zamindari Abolition Act, passed in 1951, provides a major twist to the story. The lovers are separated, and Pakhi - who happens to be an asthma patient - moves to her home in Dalhousie.

After a high-voltage chor-police chase sequence through snow and stone (matched perfectly by a dramatic music score), Varun and Pakhi find themselves face-to-face again. 

Both are broken by now – by sickness and grief – but their desperation and bitterness actually add to the passion. Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha, who have so far stuck to lafanga guy and desi arm-candy roles respectively, get to show their acting skills. There’s no song-and-dance, and neither is it missed. Snow-covered Dalhousie and Manikpur’s earthy beauty are fully exploited by the cinematography. 

In the end, you do wish Lootera had less of silences and more of back-stories and dialogues. But there’s enough meat in the characters, story and drama to make this worth a watch. 

Rating – 3/5