Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane faced a monumental challenge while shooting his period drama film Lootera amidst the harsh winter conditions of Dalhousie. Despite aiming for authenticity with limited CGI, Mother Nature had other plans, throwing a curveball that forced him to pivot from his initial vision. The production encountered unexpected hurdles, including a setback where Ranveer Singh suffered a back injury, necessitating an airlift from the set.
During an appearance on The Comment Section YouTube channel, the filmmaker reflected on the arduous journey of shooting the film, emphasizing the challenges faced in bringing the script to life. He shared, “It was an extremely tough film to shoot. The script was lovely, and we had actors and a crew that was very invested in it. We were supposed to film in Dalhousie in December… They told me not to, but I wanted the actors to actually feel cold and to see the smoke coming out of their mouths. I thought it would look great on screen; it’s just one of those filmmaker things…”
As the crew arrived at the location, they were met with an unexpected absence of snow, creating a challenging start to the shoot. However, nature had a dramatic change of heart, unleashing an unprecedented snowfall that blanketed the area in a winter wonderland not seen in four decades, “It was the largest snowfall in that area for 40 years. It snowed so much, our set collapsed. We were stuck in Dalhousie, because there was so much snow,” he stated.
However, Director Vikramaditya Motwane’s adaptive spirit shone through as he conveyed to his production designer the urgency to commence filming in whichever set was prepared first, navigating the unpredictable whims of weather with resilience and resourcefulness.
After encountering setbacks in Dalhousie, Vikramaditya Motwane found himself revisiting the winter wonderland in March, only to discover that the snow had steadfastly lingered. He recalled, “Ranveer Singh meets me one day before we are supposed to leave for Dalhousie, and he says, ‘Yaar maine gym mein… my back is feeling a little messed up’. Within two days of shooting, his back has given up. He hasn’t realised, but it has happened when we’re shooting that scene where he has the bullet clipped on his side. Because he was feeling pain from the clip, he stopped noticing the spasm his back was having. Ranveer was gone. We had to literally chopper him out of there.”
Lootera was a Bollywood period romance film directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and released in 2013. The movie starred Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha in lead roles. Set in the 1950s, the film was inspired by O. Henry’s short story ‘The Last Leaf’ and showcased a poignant love story amidst deception and betrayal.
Ranveer Singh portrayed Varun Shrivastav, a charming and enigmatic young man who crosses paths with an aspiring writer, Pakhi Roy Choudhury, played by Sonakshi Sinha. Their love story unfolds against the backdrop of beautiful locales and a meticulously crafted period setting that transports viewers back in time. The film was praised for its visually stunning cinematography, evocative music, and standout performances by the lead actors.
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