LOOTERA – A cinematic poetry.

‘A film for cinema lovers!’

It takes courage to make such a film. Yes. Though Vikramaditya was inspired by a story, it takes great determination and sheer perseverance to make a film like this which takes the audience on a completely different journey all together.  The film mesmerizes you and makes you nostalgic if you ever had faced the similar kind of things in your life. Well, that can be expected from a director whose first film was Udaan. Vikramaditya Motwane takes a bow to the commercial cinema side of Bollywood with his latest venture Lootera. Although the film is immensely inspired by the story of O.Henry’s Last Leaf, at no point in time does it make you feel that you are re reading the short story.  Lootera is a complete new thing in itself.

The film has everything, which is required for a hit the box office. Most of the reviews, as the critiques have died somewhere down, gave a four star rating. I don’t believe in star system though. If a film is good, people do watch it, no matter what the stars suggest.

Well, for Lootera, everything falls in line. The story has its own charisma. You know what is bound to happen but you do get a few surprises, which wakes you up and says – Hey! Wake up, this is not reading the book thing, you are watching a movie.

Motwane has, in very good fashion framed the location. It is so pleasing to see Bengal through the lens of Motwane and in the second half the snowy 1954 Himachal through the same craftsmanship. He is surely a well trained student of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Some of the song sequence, with panning and dollying cameras, reminds you of Bhansali’s work.

Well, Sonakshi did a pretty good job. But Ranveer for me was not apt for the film. Motwane should have thought of someone else but if the budget refrained him from doing so, it’s understood. We all do compromise in our work, don’t we?

Ranveer is good looking guy, but the seriousness just didn’t match with his image. He still looks and acts like a Delhi wala boy from Band Baja Baraat. Well, Divya Dutta is ‘deaf’ & ‘dumb’ in the film. The one guy to watch out for is Adil Hussain. He is a superb actor and with his presence on the screen he makes the reel look so real. You will know what I am talking, if you have seen lessons in forgetting. 

Amit Trivedi has done a wonderful job by keeping the frames together intact with his superb sense over music. Shikayatein and Zinda are my personal favorites. All that happens when you have two choices to make and on the contrary both of them are important, so what is the situation like? All this is included here in LOOTERA. Everything you want to know could be seen in the movie. I don’t really want to go deep into the story because there’s a difference in “Seeing and Reading”. So when you can actually enjoy the cinematic beauty, why should I waste it by telling you!

I am always open for your precious feedbacks! Let me know what you feel, if you have seen the film.

“मेरे याद किए हुए दोहे।”

यूहीं एक शाम बैठे-बैठे मुझे हिन्दी टाइपिंग का बुखार चढ़ गया। बस फिर क्या था, कम्प्युटर आँन किया और जो मन में आया लिखना शुरू कर दिया। गनीमत तो यह है कि, शुरू भी किया तो दोहो से, जिनका मुझसे बड़ा पुराना रिश्ता है।

“मेरे याद किए हुए कुछ दोहे।”

क)   करत करत अभ्यास के, जडमति होत सुजान।।

रसरि आवत जात ते, सिल पर परत निसान।।

ख)   रहिमन निजमन की व्यथा, मन राखो ही गोय।। (रहीम)

सुन इठलैहे लोग सभैं, बाट न लैहैं कोए।।

ग)    बडा हुआ तो क्या हुआ, जैसे पेड़ खजूर।। (कबीर)

पंथी को छाया नही, फल लागै अति दूर।।

घ)    रहिमन धागा इश्क का, मत तोड़ो चटिकाए।। (रहीम)

जोड़े से फिर ना जुड़ै, जुड़ै गाठ परि जाए।।

ङ)     काजल की कोठरी मे, कितनो हि सयानो जाए।। (हमारे हिन्दी के शिक्षक सुनाते थे)

एक लीक काजल कि, लागी है पैलागी।।

च)    बुरा जो देखन मैं चला, बुरा न मिलया कोए।।

जो मन देखा आपना, मुझसा बुरा न कोए।।

हिन्दी भाषा को लेकर मैं सदैव ही बड़ा भावुक रहा हूँ। बहुत साल बीत गए, लगभग 8 साल, मैनें हिन्दी लिखना छोड़ सा दिया था। पर अब जो पुनः शुरू किया है तो देखिए कब तलक साथ चलता है।

(दूसरे दोहे (ख) का श्रेय मेरे दोस्त एवम सहपाठी, राम को जाता है।)

धन्यवाद।

(यदि कोई टिप्पणी करना चाहे तो बेशक किजिए।)   J

TREK TO MATHERAN – a meeting with the clouds!

I put my alarm on snooze and went back to sleep. Suddenly, I realized it’s no ordinary morning. It was 05:20 hours and I woke up. If I would have overslept, then I don’t think I would have been able to share all this.

It all started with our MA batch, when our Professor Mangesh planned the trek. He usually takes us to trek twice every year. But unfortunately I have missed all the opportunity prior to this one. This trekking trip to Matheran was my first and boy it was a trek! I was amazed and felt rejuvenated. Planning for the trek went as usual. Just a few different things in my bag pack this time, as it was a trekking trip and not a picnic.

I left early from my house, took the ticket and boarded 06:26 hours Panvel local. After reaching I met my fellow classmates, now ‘the trekkers’. We sat at the Panvel ST Bus stand for about an hour before catching our bus to Dodhani village from where we were suppose to actually start our journey of trekking.

Alas! We reached Dodhani village on foot where the bus left us. As soon as I stepped down the bus I took a good long time and took a glance, a 360 degree view. It was incredible! I have never seen nature such beautiful. So peaceful that you could smell the fresh mud, feel the breeze and hear the nearby water flowing down the stream. It was fantastic!

Then came the moment! Sir gave the signal and we, a bunch of 24 trekkers, started climbing. It hardly took us 15 minutes to reach our first stop. From there our goal, the final point, was clearly visible. We sat there for around 10 minutes and begin climbing again. This time it was a lengthy. It took us almost half an hour to reach the second point. It was a small stream going down the mountain. I was wearing converse, didn’t knew they would slip, but they slipped and fell for the first time. I was scared! Never felt something like that before. If my fellow trekker wouldn’t have held me by my bag, I would have hit myself against the rock. But as the rock was close, so it wouldn’t have caused much damage though. So, no harm done there!

After that we again started, only this time the climbing became more serious. For me it was a step by step climbing because I already experienced something, which I didn’t, wanted to happen again. After reaching a plain part of the mountain, which was not so plain, I decided to turn around and have a look. I was amused! The view was so heavenly! I fell in love with it. I stood there for about a minute when one of my fellow trekker called me. I turned and started climbing again.

The rain god was happy with us, I guess. Because whenever we felt the heat or thought that the humidity is increasing, there was a shower of around 2 minutes, which cooled us down. I enjoyed every moment, every single moment. It was my first trek and I can assure you that there are many more to come. It was so superb that to make you believe such things you must visit the place ones and of course on foot.

Finally after about a walk and climb of 2 ½ to 3 hours we finally reached our destination. For me it was like an achievement in true sense.

Share your thoughts and views if you too had done such a journey.