Lootera: A surreal volcano called Love :-)

“Kya kabhi saavera laata hai andhera…” This line is such a contradiction in itself but the beauty of these words entices me, pains me and shakes my emotions like an uncertain turmoil in a visibly silent ocean. There are certain emotions that one hold on to in some dark corner of their heart, not wanting to let them go, not wanting to share them with anyone even with the person whom they belong to, one such emotion is love which sometimes translate as intimacy, care, belongingness and sometime transcends as longing, angst, anger and pain- it’s difficult to define this feeling and confine it to few words or sentence or may be a page. But when these tangents of love are woven in form of cinema it looks nothing less than a heavenly poem away from all the glitz, glamour and kerfuffle. 

Lootera is the movie that I am talking about which was cruelly relatable, set up in after independence era somewhere in West Bengal around the time when Zamindari System was abolished.

Varun (played by Ranveer Singh) is an archeologist who visits Zamindar (played by Barun Chanda) residing in Manikpur with his daughter Pakhi (played by Sonakshi Sinha) to figure out/study the presence of past civilizations in the land owned by later. Pakhi had accidently hit Varun’s motorcycle previously while learning to ride car. The twinkle in her eyes while she sees him secretly reflects the instant attraction towards Varun, though he sees her for the first time during dinner at Zamindar’s home. 

She is epitome of beauty, elegance and intelligence, belonging to a rich class confined to a big home where books and one of her female friend is her companion. With Varun, fresh breeze knocks her life and she instantly falls for him. The beauty of love when it begins from eyes and travels through heart is something that is unmatchable and nothing else could replace it. It’s interesting to see how she figures out a way to know him and be with him through painting; he doesn’t know how to paint then she twists it and starts teaching him painting and the love in the eye blossoms into their personal conversation of knowing each other.

She doesn’t minces her words when she sees Varun ignoring him (his other identity forces him to change his path, he doesn’t tell her the truth instead chooses to ignore her) and asks him, “Don’t you love me? Can’t you say this to keep my heart?” And when Varun is about the leave other day, she chooses to try once more by having a conversation with him and at night she goes to his room. Both are passionately in love and they live the moment!

And just on the day of their proposed wedding he leaves her without any explanation without anything word just leaves her. The person whom you loved, trusted and thought would stay with you like forever leaves you alone, in the mid of questions, chaos and turmoil, subject you to thousands of judgments from people around you, you end up blaming yourself , figuring out what was your fault? When the things went out of your hand? And was that love really was love??

She is heartbroken, her father dies because Varun not only robbed them of the treasure they have but also backstabbed them emotionally! She goes to Dalhousie the place where she wanted to live and pursue her dream of writing books. But she is not able to write, she tries hard, she struggles but the words refuses to come to the paper.

Her thoughts and memories about Varun plays like a villain. There is a conversation that she remembers which happens after their first and only passionate moment where for the first time Varun confesses his love for her indirectly through a conversation between the characters of story written by Pakhi. 

It triggered lot of hidden emotions associated with this feeling which I have buried somewhere in my heart, this love, longing for love and memories leave you heart broken and there is no way it could be mended because with time one learn to avoid it ! 

And then he comes back, again she looks at him secretly, the emotions have changed the gazes have changed, the love then transcends as disgust, anger and pain. The film is a path breaking attempt to put these words visibly on screen when Pakhi tries to physically separate herself from Varun, hits him, bites him while he tries to inject medicine when she suffers from asthma attack. There is so much angst in the love that they once shared. The intensity of their love, hate, pain relationships keeps growing and fluctuating at times which leaves me wondering how to see love as black and white. 

And finally she is able to write her feelings on the paper where she curses herself for not being able to stop him from entering into her life once again and how she wishes to die when the last leaf on the tree which is visible from her window. Then the love takes a twist Varun who had option of leaving her decides to stay back, takes care of her in all possible way. 

I don’t know what really holds both together in the times of this extreme pain and angst? When she sees him painting again the barrier melts away and they get to talk. She asks, “Kya tumhne kabhi bhi mujhse pyaar kiya tha?” and he explains his situation and the reason for walking away and gives her hope that the leaf will never fall and that she has to live! The climax is heartwarming, beautiful and just insane where he draws his masterpiece ‘a leaf’ which he places on the tree that Pakhi has been seeing for so long and wanted to die when that last leaf would fall. 

Pakhi gets up in the morning, sees the tree and the leaf is intact and she smiles knowing the reason while Varun is shot dead by Police. Never have I seen such a heart breaking end to a beautiful story which leaves you with a hope to live. The hidden emotions completes the cycle and what remains is warmth and love :-)

 

Vikramaditya Motwane has crafted a timeless masterpiece, where the plot, the characters, the relationships among them and the magical music amalgamate to a beautiful emotion which you would love to experience, live and contain in your heart. It’s not necessary that “all love stories have happily ever after endings but sometimes it’s just about the story”