Looking to soar

In the run-up to the release of his second film Lootera, Vikramaditya Motwane settled down for yet another interview. This time he sounded a bit matter-of-fact, which could be construed as arrogance. Yet, only a few minutes ago when a film-school graduate walked up to him with a resume, Motwane gave him a patient hearing, and even gave his mobile number to the young man. So, arrogance is ruled out.

Then he must have been bogged down by promotional activities. Or even a bit tense over the fate of the film.

Unlike the small budget but critically acclaimed Udaan, that marked his
directorial debut, Lootera is a star-studded affair with Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead. While Udaan was about teenage-angst and a yearning to break free, Lootera is a paean to pristine love between a zamindar's daughter and a visiting archaeologist. If the promos are anything to go by, this film, set in 1950s rural Bengal against the backdrop of a fading zamindari system, is a lavish affair.

Motwane wouldn't let out much. He wants to keep the curiosity alive till July 5, when the film is released. “It’s inspired by O Henry's short story, The Last Leaf.

Bengal was an obvious choice for locales because the state still has some little pockets of isolation steeped in old-world charm. Parts of the film were also shot in Dalhousie, he says.

His exposure to Bengali culture happened long back when he used to visit Kolkata as a child during vacations. His mother, Dipa De Motwane, the executive producer of Lootera, grew up in that city. She had introduced him to Barun Chanda when they had gone to Kolkata for a recce. Chanda, a veteran actor, and the protagonist in Satyajit Ray's Seemabaddha, plays the zamindar in Lootera.

A few years ago, when Vikramaditya was setting out for a career in films, Dipa introduced him to Sanjay Leela Bhansali as well. Motwane assisted Bhansali in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas. Lootera seems to carry the Bhansali-stamp, characterised by warm tones and painting-like frames. Apart from Bhansali, he also worked with internationally-acclaimed director Deepa Mehta in Water, and co-wrote the story and screenplay with Anurag Kashyap for the latter's film DevD.

That is where he met the film's music composer Amit Trivedi, and a bond was forged. The hugely-talented Trivedi made music for both Udaan and Lootera.

Kashyap produced Udaan. In 2011, Motwane teamed up with him and Vikas Bahl, the former head of UTV Spotboy, to set up Phantom Films, which has co-produced Lootera with Ekta Kapoor.

Only in his mid-30s, Motwane may have left his struggles behind. But there is still a long way to go before he can flaunt an impressive body of work. His friends and associates are confident he will live up to mounting expressions. “Since he is the writer-director, he knows exactly what sort of film he wants to make. He has a wonderful grip on the narrative. Moreover, he is technically very sound. For Lootera, his brief was simple: the music has to be rooted in the culture of that land and era. He had very strict references for background scores.

At the editing table, he would insert some pieces of music he felt would go with certain situations and moods to give me pointers. I would then come up with several options. Mostly, he would accept what I created, but there were rejections too.

The idea was to create a dynamic soundscape, which intensifies the feelings on screen,” said Trivedi.

Bahl, his partner at Phantom Films, highlights the director’s style of working. “Vikramaditya likes everyone in his unit to take ownership of the work they do.
By giving them freedom, he not only brings out the best, but also inspires them to overcome impediments, said Bahl. He recounts an incident when heavy snow at Dalhousie brought shooting to a standstill. But his team soldiered on because they didn’t want to disappoint Vikramaditya.

For his lead pair too, the director had a similar approach. “Sonakshi was natural in front of the character, but Ranveer needed some grooming. He did a few workshops; we had some long discussions about the role, and he was ready. At heart both of them are actors. They want to give their best shot,” says the director, who himself was pretty nervous from the start. But Bahl pointed out that Vikramaditya’s nervousness is one of his biggest strengths. “It means he will never be complacent.”

He wants to be a storyteller in the league of his favourite directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick and Akira Kurosawa. Udaan was a step in that direction. With Lootera he might inch closer to the goal.