| Lootera | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Vikramaditya Motwane |
| Written by | Screenplay: Bhavani Iyer Dialogues: Anurag Kashyap |
| Story by | Vikramaditya Motwane |
| Based on | The Last Leaf byO. Henry |
| Produced by | Anurag Kashyap Ekta Kapoor Shobha Kapoor Vikas Bahl |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Mahendra J. Shetty |
| Edited by | Dipika Kalra |
| Music by | Amit Trivedi |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Eros International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 135 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | est.₹32crore[2] |
| Box office | est.₹46.14 crore[3] |
Lootera (/lʊˈtɛrə/,Hindi:[lʊˈʈeːɾɑː];transl.Robber) is a 2013 IndianHindi-languageperiodromantic drama film directed byVikramaditya Motwane and the second half is based on authorO. Henry's 1907 short story "The Last Leaf". It is the second film directed by Motwane after the critically acclaimedUdaan (2010).
Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of the Zamindari Abolition Act by the newly independent India, it tells the story of a young conman posing as an archaeologist and the daughter of a Bengalizamindar. The film starsSonakshi Sinha andRanveer Singh in lead roles. Produced byShobha Kapoor,Ekta Kapoor,Anurag Kashyap andVikas Bahl,[4] the film features music and background score byAmit Trivedi with lyrics penned byAmitabh Bhattacharya and cinematography by Mahendra J. Shetty.[5]
Lootera received positive reviews upon release, with particular praise directed towards Sinha and Singh's performance, thus proving to be a breakthrough for the latter.[6] Many consider the film a commercial flop, but in a later interview, Motwane said that"nobody lost money on that film. It’s just that the fact that being Ranveer Singh’s next film or Sonakshi Sinha’s next film, there were expectations of a Rs 30 crore weekend, but it didn’t happen."[7]
At the59th Filmfare Awards,Lootera received 4 nominations, includingBest Actress (Sinha), and wonBest Female Playback Singer (Monali Thakur for "Sawaar Loon").
In thepicturesque town ofManikpur, West Bengal, in 1953, alandlord named Soumitra Roy Chaudhary goes to watch ajatra with his daughter, Soudhamini Pakhi Roy Choudhary, an aspiringwriter. After Pakhi suffers anasthma attack from the ensuing excitement, she is rushed to her room and givenmedication. As she recuperates, her father comforts her and narrates the story of the invincibleking of theBhil tribe whosesoul resided inside aparrot, telling her that she is the parrot within whom his life resides. One day, after threatening the family driver into letting her drive the family car, Pakhi accidentally bumps into amotorbike on the road, mildly injuring the young man on the motorbike. A few days later, the same man shows up at theirmansion, introducing himself to the landlord as Varun Srivastava, anarchaeologist who wants to study the land surrounding the temple that the landlord owns. Over the next few weeks, Varun charms the landlord and his daughter with his knowledge andpersona and is invited, along with his assistant and friend, Devdas Mukherjee, also known as Dev, to live at their expansive mansion.
Soon, love brews between Varun and Pakhi as they bond overart andliterature. Pakhi confesses her aspirations of becoming anauthor, while Varun reveals his desire to paint amasterpiece. Their love soon culminates in a passionateaffair. Meanwhile, an act passed by theIndian government debars the power of landlords, causing tension in the Roy Choudhary household. The ancientartifacts the family owns must be sold, and Varun helps arrange the purchases. As Varun's stay comes to an end, he asks Roy Choudhury for his daughter's hand in marriage, and preparations for their marriage begin. Before the marriage, Varun's uncle, A. K. Bajpai, who raised him, arrives and discourages Varun from marriage, stating that Varun will only give Pakhi grief because of the danger of what he actually does for a living, and that people like them are not meant to fall in love and have normal lives. Varun is conflicted but agrees and makes his choice. He and Dev escape that very night, along with all the valuables they stole from the landlord. On the marriage day, Varun is nowhere to be found, and everyone shockingly discovers that the idols from thetemple have been stolen and thecurrency notes from the purchase that Varun arranged of the family's artifacts are allcounterfeit.
In the second half of the film, the story moves to one year after the incident at the wedding. A sick Pakhi now lives inDalhousie with her maid, Shyama as her only company. Her father has died, unable to bear the shock of betrayal by Varun, and she still has not recovered from her heartbreak. WhenInspector K. N. Singh requests her to help him capture Varun, Pakhi refuses to do so, wanting only to forget him. Soon after, Varun and Dev show up at Dalhousie for their next heist and stay at a lodge on Pakhi's property. Shortly, things take a drastic turn when the police manage to find out their whereabouts and a pursuit ensues. Varun inadvertentlyshoots Dev and aconstable fatally and is injured in the encounter. He removes thebullet and then goes to seek refuge in Pakhi's house. Pakhi and Shyama attempt to hand him over to the police, but he threatens them. Pakhi gives in, but she is nevertheless enraged and repels Varun's comforting advances and explanation. In a letter, she explains to him that she is dying oftuberculosis and will die the day the lastleaf falls from thewiltingtree outside thewindow. Meanwhile, Shyama leaves the house, promising Varun that he would not be reported to the police.
Varun plans his escape, but when his accomplice comes, he refuses to go and instead stays behind to take care of the sick Pakhi. He confesses to her that his real name is Atmanand Tripathi, and that he has regretted abandoning her since the day he escaped. Soon, Pakhi warms up to him, and her faith remains intact when each day she finds one last leaf remaining on the tree. In the end, seeing Pakhi's condition improving, Varun decides that it is time for him to leave, and he takes off, only to come face to face with a police blockade on the road, who proceed to shoot him fatally inencounter killing. Meanwhile, Pakhi wakes up to find that Varun has disappeared, but the tree still has a leaf on it. She becomes suspicious and discovers that the leaf has been affixed to the tree by Varun. Every night, he would tie it on abranch of the tree so that she would not give up hope to live and it was Varun's masterpiece. Pakhi realises the truth after she looks at the leaf closely and sees that it has been painted upon, and she smiles with tears in her eyes knowing she will live.
Vikramaditya Motwane wrote the script ofLootera in 2005.[8] Bhavani Iyer had co-written the script with Motwane.[9] Ranveer Singh's character was created by the director whereas Sonakshi plays the role of female character from the book.[10] Actor Ranveer Singh claimed that he was not initially convinced with his character inLootera and had declined to star in the movie. With script readings he grew confident that he could play the role of acon man in the movie, and rehearsed extensively.[11] In an interview withThe Hindu, Sonakshi Sinha stated, "I play a Bengali girl. It's an authentic Bengali look of the fifties that I am sporting and they (the director and designer Subarna) have taken a lot of trouble to go through the kind of clothes, jewellery, hair and make-up done in that era. We have tried to replicate it. Vikramaditya has kept the make-up simple with only the kajal, kumkum, and some laali on the lips which is what the women used to do then. It was the most difficult shooting experience for me so far. In terms of my character, my look, my performance and the locations, everything had to be from an era I knew nothing about."[12] The director insistedRanveer's look be an amalgamation ofJames Dean andDev Anand.[13]
In November 2011, the filmmakers confirmed Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh for the lead roles.[14] By December 2011, both the actors attended workshops for the look of the character, body language, speech as the film was set inBengal in the era of the 1950s. Subarna Ray Chaudhari undertook extensive research to design the costumes for the characters to fit the required look.[15] A romantic song was shot in December 2011.[16] The first schedule was completed in Mumbai by end of December 2011.[17] In January 2012, the set of the film erected inDalhousie, where the actors were to shoot over for few days was destroyed due to bad weather that caused heavy losses amounting to 5 million.[18] The weather forced the crew to trek through knee-high snow.[19] However, certain scenes were canned atKalatop, close to Dalhousie.[17] The schedule was postponed to March 2012.[20] The next schedule began inKolkata from 23 January 2012[21] and continued in rural parts of West Bengal.[22] Scenes involving Ranveer, Sonakshi andBarun Chanda were shot at the 11th century Jain temple in Deulghata and Belkuri. The area beingMaoist affected, with great risk the entire cast and crew shot scenes under heavy police control.[23] In March 2012, the team made its second attempt to shoot in Dalhousie,[17] but actor Ranveer Singh injured his back and hence the schedule was postponed to May 2012. During May 2012, the team made its third attempt to shoot at Dalhousie wherein scenes that were left out to be filmed in the snow were shot by creating a set under artificial snowy conditions in summer season.[17][24] Certain scenes featuring Shirin Guha and Arif Zakaria separately were wrapped up by March 2012.[20][25] Along with potential 50 crew members the leading duo shot at TheItachuna Rajbari,Hooghly District.[23][26] Old house scenes were later filmed inPurulia. The final schedule of the film took place inMumbai, and was wrapped up in July 2012.[17] The filming was complete by the end of August 2012 and the release date was scheduled to 29 March 2013.[27] The first trailer released in March 2013 later revealed that the film would release on 5 July 2013.
Amit Trivedi composed the film's score and soundtrack in his second collaboration with Motwane afterUdaan (2010), and the album featured six tracks with the lyrics penned byAmitabh Bhattacharya. Set in the styles of 1950s Hindi film music, Trivedi adapted his ways of composition to match the tone of the film and recorded a live orchestra for the score.[28][29] The album was released throughiTunes on 29 May 2013, and in physical formats on 7 June 2013 through theT-Series label.[30][31]
The first look and the trailer of the film was released on 15 March 2013. To match with the old world theme of the film, the film launch was held at theLiberty Cinema inMumbai, which was constructed in 1947.[32] The trailer was well-received and appreciated by critics, especially the featured background score.[33][34] The second theatrical trailer was released on 10 June 2013.[35] Unlike other films, the lead actress allotted forty days for the pre-marketing of the film.[33]
The film was screened atYash Raj Studios inMumbai two days prior to its release date. The release in India was on estimated 1,600 screens, emphasizing more multiplex releases rather thansingle screens.[36]
CriticTaran Adarsh ofBollywood Hungama gave the film 4 on a scale of 5 and wrote, "On the whole,Lootera is an intrinsically earnest and profoundly heartwarming story that stays in your heart. An absolute must for those who love romantic films or are romantic at heart. This one's a cinematic gem!".[37] Raja Sen ofRediff rated 5/5 stars and noted, "Lootera is a gorgeous, gorgeous film, one that uses its period setting affectionately, with loving detail, and not exploitatively, as our cinema is wont to do."[38] Meena Iyer ofThe Times of India assigned the film 4 out of 5 and noted, "Lootera is a love saga of yore." She added, "You may find this film boring if state-of-the-art, slow romance is not your idea of a movie outing."[39]Deccan Herald gave four stars and stated, "Lootera is a flawed gem filled with moments of glorious emotions. The storytelling shows the hands of a masterly visionary who tends to dither in moments of deep drama. But then there is Sonakshi Sinha, who makes you forget all the blemishes in this unforgettable tragedy."[40] Manohar Basu ofKoimoi gave it 4/5 stars, commenting that "Lootera is one film that will overwhelm you. Vikramaditya Motwane has given a seraphic piece that glorifies cinema itself. The narrative is framed on a devastative tapestry and the film's climax knots up calamitously that will keep one absorbed."[41] Saibal Chatterjee ofNDTV gave it 4/5 and wrote, "An epic canvas, a quiet love story, a cops-and-robbers drama and an impressively sophisticated storytelling style:Lootera has all this and much more. In short,Lootera is a Bollywood miracle – a rare Mumbai film that is mounted on a lavish scale and yet dares not to play by the established norms of the marketplace." CriticMayank Shekhar wrote, "God is in the detail, so is a good film–this is director Vikramaditya Motwane's second."[6] Deepanjana Pal forFirstpost noted, "Lootera fumbles as a love story and without this pivot, Pakhi and Varun's story wobbles awkwardly. For instance, you have to wonder how loving a relationship is when a woman learns the man she loves has been shot, but doesn't ask him anything about his injury."[6]
Lootera had a bumper opening at multiplexes and collected around₹310.0 million (US$3.7 million) on its opening day.[42] The film amassed a total of almost₹950 million (US$11 million) over its opening weekend.[43] The film's collections were excellent on weekdays and it collected around₹1.25 billion (US$15 million) in its opening week.[44][45] Prior to its Japanese release, its final total finished around₹4.60 billion (US$54 million) nett.[3]
| Distributor | Date announced | Category | Recipient | Result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIG Star Entertainment Awards | December 2013 | Best Actor in a Romantic Role – Female | Sonakshi Sinha | Won | [46] |
| Best Actor in a Romantic Role – Male | Ranveer Singh | Nominated | |||
| Most Entertaining Romantic Film | Vikramaditya Motwane,Anurag Kashyap,Ekta Kapoor,Shobha Kapoor, Vikas Bahl | ||||
| Most Entertaining Singer – Female | Monali Thakur for "Sawaar Loon" | ||||
| Zee Cine Awards | 6 February 2014 | Best Actor (Jury's Choice) – Female | Sonakshi Sinha | Won | [47][48] |
| Best Playback Singer – Female | Monali Thakur for "Sawaar Loon" | Nominated | |||
| Best Music Director | Amit Trivedi | ||||
| Best Lyricist | Amitabh Bhattacharya for "Shikayatein" | ||||
| Best Background Score | Amit Trivedi | ||||
| Best Production Design | Aditya Kanwar | ||||
| Best Cinematography | Mahendra Shetty | ||||
| Best Editing | Dipika Kalra | ||||
| Colors Screen Awards | 8 January 2014 | Best Actor (Popular) – Female | Sonakshi Sinha | Nominated | [49] |
| Best Actor – Female | |||||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Monali Thakur for "Sawaar Loon" | ||||
| Best Costume Design | Subarna Ray Chaudhari | ||||
| Filmfare Awards | 14 January 2014 | Best Female Playback Singer | Monali Thakur for "Sawaar Loon" | Won | [50] |
| Best Lyricist | Amitabh Bhattacharya for "Shikayatein" | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Sonakshi Sinha | ||||
| Best Music Director | Amit Trivedi | ||||
| Best Costume Design | Subarna Ray Chaudhari | ||||
| Best Production Design | Aditya Kanwar | ||||
| Star Guild Awards | 16 February 2014 | Best Actress | Sonakshi Sinha | Nominated | |
| Best Lyricist | Amitabh Bhattacharya for "Shikayatein" | ||||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Monali Thakur for "Sawaar Loon" | ||||
| IIFA Awards | 26 April 2014 | Best Actress – Female | Sonakshi Sinha | Nominated | [51] |
| Best Female Playback Singer | Monali Thakur for "Sawaar Loon" |
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