I have just finished reading'The Last Leaf' by the one and only Mr. O Henry. A simple story told equally simply. But by the time you finish reading you have a lump in your throat. The Last Leaf speaks volumes but not in so many words. A tale of undying hope and friendship as crisp as those yellow leaves which fall off the trees in winter prime.
Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera is supposedly based on Henry's this story. Call it inspiration or influence, the melody of'The Last Leaf' has very weak strains in VM's film. Apart from the fact that the protagonists of the movie pin their last hope(or one may say, their limitless despair) on the last leaf of a tree, the rest of the plot - backdrop, milieu, characterization and the major story-line - is way apart from that masterpiece penned by the all-time king of short stories.
Setting: Way back in the 50's in a remote village of Bengal. The Zamindari Abolition Act is in the offing. An aristocrat feudal lord who seems to be absolutely cut-off from the rest of the world. A Munim who is more in tune with time than his master. The medieval culture of unquestioned loyalty to one's superior is well established in a few frame. Incidentally, Henry's tale was set in 1907, decades down history.
Characters: To the Zamindar is precious his only child, a daughter who suffers from some mysterious respiratory problem. She is beautiful, well-educated, innocent but sadly unaware of what's brewing around. In comes two representatives from the Archaeology Department to excavate the grounds belonging to the Zamindar and is generously accommodated into the folds of the aristocratic household.
Story: Very predictable. The reticent archaeologist and the vivacious daughter of the zamindar, thrown together, against the backdrop of a peaceful, sleepy village, cannot help but fall in love. The man proposes marriage and is accepted. But by compulsion has to abscond with his friend-cum-accomplice overnight leaving the girl heartbroken and the father impoverished.
Inevitable Questions: Will they meet ever again? Have I given away more than I should? Given the number of reviews already written on the movie, I think not. However, I am tempted to dwell a little more on the subject notwithstanding the fact that VM's ambitious affair is now a thing of the past.
Strong Points: The ease and flow with which the story is narrated irrRajeev_Vermactive of the trips and falls. The frames remind one of the grand gilt framed paintings of yore - the first half rich, vibrant and colorful and the second half dark, dismal, depressive with lengthening shadows and silence taking over with echoing footfalls. That brings me to the crafty underplay of dialogues in the movie, Rajeev_Vermacially in the second half, and the restraint with which even the most dramatic moment is visualized. Not undermining the opulence and joie-de-vivre of the first half, VM reigns a galloping equestrian effortlessly well, resultantly even the most torrid of outbursts is aesthetchandru021y and elegantly understated. But that does not once mean that the viewer's heart is left unpierced when an unsettled, aimless and confined Pakhi broods over her past or gives up on hope. Such is the swish of the Director's wand that Pakhi's(Sonakshi Sinha) long days and nights of loneliness and betrayal are made unforgettable by the most skillful employ of quietude.
Flaws: The first half is severely concocted to the extent that the most gullible viewer may shift uneasily in his/her seat. The drastic shift from the fertile planes of Bengal to a snow-laden Dalhousie seems again an intentional imposition to bring the setting at par with that of the short story it is purportedly based on. In'The Last Leaf', Johnsy and Sue are painters with dreams of bringing to life a masterpiece someday. In the movie, Varun(Ranvir Singh) idealizes about a lifetime's portrayal on canvas although his fingers are as unused to holding the brush as is a gun in the hands of a householder. Even as the cops scourge the laid back hill-station, the door of the cottage which harbors the fugitive, is carelessly left unbolted and the long-lost lovers look unusually comfortable under the secured knowledge of impending doom.
Performance: Sonakshi is a Director's delight. With her overbearing Indianness(read beauty), one cannot imagine anyone else in the role of the pampered daughter of the Zamindar(Barun Chanda). Even in the height of despondency she is as picturesque(sans make up) as is the scenic Dalhousie. However, it is Ranvir who, as the soft-spoken, well-mannered Varun, comes as a surprise package and not for once, in one's wildest imagination, can he be compared with the loud-mouthed, street smart, fun-loving Bittoo Sharma of Band Baaja Baraat fame or the smooth operator of Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl. But it is Vikraant Massey as Devdas and Varun's partner-in-crime, who leaves behind an imprint, in his cameo. The character, surrogating at times as the inescapable reminder of Varun's reality and the invariable brake that need be pressed to prevent further damage to an already wrecked situation, is a novelty by itself. Adil Hussain as the single-minded Inspector K.N. Singh reveals shades of Nana(Patekar), howsoever, unintentionally.
Frames: The outstandingly captured panoramic views of a freezing white Dalhousie or the gorgeous grandeur of a feudal Bengal, Mahendra J Shetty's cinematography leaves the viewers spellbound(although watched on small screen). VM's conceptualization is creditworthy as he, with the able support of the art director, flawlessly encases frame after frame, the essence of a culture which is foreign to his roots. However, it would have presented a wider vista, had the Director thought of amalgamating and structuring the socio-political ethos of the 50's into the plot.
Moments; Aplenty. A cornered Varun targeting a shot at his friend mistaking him for a cop. A dazed and heavily injured Varun escapes in the nick of time propelled by the sheer instinct of survival. Ranvir surpasses himself in this shot consequently earning instant sympathy of the viewers notwithstanding the enormity of the crime committed.
Varun and Devdas trudging through thick snow to take a look at the outhouse(a part of Pakh's premise) put up for rent. By some inexplicable intuition Varun feels watched and as he looks back the drape of a window flutters slightly confirming his suspicion - an unseen Pakhi realizes Varun is back in her life.
The soft intimacies between Pakhi and Varun, derivatives of budding love, frozen with delicate touch so as to retain all along the flavor of unblemished innocence and purity, so typical of that era. VM imputes an additional dimension to a love saga.
Remembrances: I wouldn't brazenly call it imitation but certain sequences in the film inadvertently reminds one of certain memorable ones of other timeless classics. The first instance when a baffled Varun looks into the eyes of a mortified Pakhi by the roadside, after the unfortunate collision, one could almost here the signature tune of 1942 A Love Story playing in the foreground. Despite the note of optimism on which the tale comes to a close, a sinking feeling pervades - a feeling, all veteran moviegoers must have been overpowered with after watching a Roman Holiday or a Gone With The Wind.
Scores: The background scores have a generous mingling of western symphony epitomizing an interim Bengal fast stepping out of a prolonged Renaissance soon to be ravaged by political misadventures. Amit Trivedi's compositions wreak of well executed experimentation. Monali Thaku's Sawaanr Loon is a perfect example of subtle and intricate interplay of notes. While Montare is sharp, earthy soul-delving and etches strong prints deep into the hearts.
Grand Finale: The final curtain falls a little clumsily and avoidably abruptly. The catharsis, a bit curt, could have been decidedly more eloquent. Nevertheless, the looter leaves behind a whiff of emptiness, a poesy of sadness, a kind of wistfulness one feels when spring bids adieu impelling one to nurture a passing thought whether would he/she be there to live the next season. The futility of a life ill-spent and extinguished before time, a life which could have been more meaningful and shining had love found a permanent abode in the hearts of the star-crossed couple and such other lingering laments like a gust of mourning breeze hovers around long after the curtains have fallen. Many have compared VM's debut film Udaan with his second offering Lootera. I have not seen the latter so I reserve my comments. Both have been critchandru021y acclaimed and left their marks on viewers' hearts. VM, time and again, shows glimpses of a Master Blaster which await fine tuning with time. Howsoever mean, my pen has been, in this review, Lootera, though not entirely flawless, has the making of a classic. But who says masterpieces are fault-free? Master stroke lies not in rectifying a blunder but in immortalizing the same with a cherished conviction that the perfect portray is not far behind.
Last but not the least, this review is dedicated to esteemed MSians @arrini, @earnestaster for writing incredibly beautiful reviews on the movie which I cannot even in my dream compete with and above all @jamthur for his penchant for tales of eternal love and romance at its regal best.
