Lootera: A magical ode to true love

Lootera is a Bollywood flick that seems to have drawn very strong reactions for people – they love it or they hate it!

Lootera is one Bollywood flick that seems to have drawn very strong reactions for people – they either love it or hate it – and both situations are actually understandable!

As per the synopsis, the film is set in the years 1953-54. Pakhi (Sonakshi Sinha) is a young Bengali girl, living with her father, a zamindar, in an aristocratic world. Here enters an archaeologist, Varun (Ranveer Singh), seeking help from the zamindar with a letter from the Archaeological Society of India. With his remarkable knowledge of books, music, and expertise in his own field, Varun impresses the zamindar, sneaking his way into the life of the family and the heart of Pakhi as love between them blossoms. But soon a shocking revelation shatters their world leading them to some unanticipated circumstances.



A part of the film is inspired from O Henry's short story "The Last Leaf"". Overall, Lootera is an uplifting story of two lovers - a story of heartbreak, betrayal and ultimate redemption.

It is a simple story that has been told dozens of times on screen. But what makes Lootera stand out from all the other Mills & Boons romantic flicks we have seen is how Motwane has treated the story. Lootera is a movie which shows cinematic brilliance on screen and each frame is immaculately shot. The locale and scenery will absorb you. The direction is a clear winner and the movie moves at an effortless (though sometimes slow) pace.



Silence plays a crucial role in this movie. In real life we often use silence to convey thousands of emotions and this whole movie unfolds in classic moments of silence - eyes, facial expressions, gestures, visuals, surroundings and last but most important, the background score. Silence truly speaks a thousand words in Lootera.

The music of Lootera is another gem – and both the songs and the background score compliment the story to perfection. Top marks to Amit Trivedi for giving us tracks like Shikayatein, Zinda and Ankahee!



Full marks must be given to Sonakshi and Ranveer as both the actors shed away the loud, over-the-top characters of their previous movies and present themselves in a totally new image, establishing the fact that they can act well.

Sonakshi Sinha is the real star of the show. She effortlessly portrays the depths of her character and brings out vivid moods with brilliant skill. She indubitably is a revelation, who (surprisingly) looks pretty nice too.



Ranveer Singh gives a good performance – however I do wish he showed a wider range of expressions that Varun’s character needed.  I also felt that the onscreen chemistry between Ranveer and Sonakshi was a bit ‘thanda’ given the passionate story!

Barun Chanda, Vikrant Massey, Divya Dutta and the brilliant Adil Hussain are perfect for their respective roles.



Do yourself a favour by not missing Lootera on the big screen. But if you have loved Bodyguards or Son of Sardars, Bhatt factory products, or other Salman Khan/Akshay Kumar stuff or if you are excited about SRK's Eid release - chances are you would abhor this one so you may not want to go!

Verdict: Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera is a visual painting, an ode to love with sheer brilliance and magic woven on celluloid. With a strong narrative and exceptional performances, especially from Sonakshi Sinha, this film can easily claim to be a plush masterpiece. Lootera is a must must watch for those who are seeking good cinema within the mainstream domain.

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