Hearts, interrupted

There are movies you like and then, there are movies that like you. Lootera falls in the latter category. It begins as a film but ends as a painting. Also, if a picture speaks a thousand words, a canvas speaks for eternity, right? Absolutely. Still, the dialogues are so few and far between. And interestingly—or rather coincidentally—a painting in this specific piece of art (painted by the supremely gifted Vikramaditya Motwane of the Udaan fame) plays a key role. Set amid an era when zamindars ended up as losers and lovers maintained a winning distance, a conman manages to steal some invaluable pieces of history. While he's at it, the innocence in him robs a strong yet vulnerable girl off her heart, peace and future. The worst part is she loves him even when he's hurting her the most. Maybe love, like cinema, works in mysterious ways. What works for this sincere film though is it has a heart-wrenching tale to share. With as many pictures—and as few words—as possible. The background score punctuated by songs fill in what the protagonists are too stubborn to express. If you remember Raincoat, you might recollect that the room in which it was shot consumes you with a certain amount of claustrophobia. What Motwane does is he keeps claustrophobia out of the room for the most part. Inside it, Sonakshi Sinha delivers THE captivating performance of her life. Given the scale she exhibited, calling her promising is an understatement. Ranveer Singh, on the other hand, tries his best to fit in perfectly as a guy who is far removed from his personality. The first half is flawless while the second half stumbles a bit. Overall, it combines to form a colossal work of art. However, some love stories are meant to end prematurely. But when they do, they leave the spectator with grief as well as a thirst to start all over again. Lootera is one such adaptation.