LOOTERA (2013)

Director:
Vikramaditya Motwane

Writer:

Bhavani Iyer
Vikramaditya Motwane
Anurag Kashyap

Starring:
Ranveer Singh
Sonakshi Sinha
Vikrant Massey and others

Lootera is director-writer Vikramaditya Motwane's second feature film. Now it is only natural for comparisons to be drawn with Udaan. If I had to pick a movie between the two, I still would say that Lootera is no Udaan but it is still in the same league.

The movie is set in 1953-54. Varun (Singh) is an archaeologist who comes to excavate the ground surrounding a temple in a village called Manikpur. Once there he finds himself drawn to the zamindar's daughter Paki (Sinha). Now the movie is predictable and being inspired from O. Henry's The Last Leaf, the climax could be a bit of a dampener for those familiar with the story. But in the more than capable hands of Motwane the movie is treated with a sense of flair and exemplary vision one seldom gets to see in Indian cinema today.

The movie for all the gorgeous sets, cinematography and background score belongs to the two leads. Singh and Sinha put their best foot forward and their performances elevate the movie to a level so high that it seems unlikely that any other movie will reach it this year making it a front-runner as India's official entry for the 2014 Oscars. Sonakshi Sinha's transitions from bitter to jovial to downright arrogant are seamless. But this move belongs to Ranveer Singh who puts in a performance that is memorable and stays true to the name of the movie as he steals your heart and refuses to let it go even hours after the movie.  

Pranit’s Rating: 8.5/10