'Lootera is the most difficult film I've ever done'

After a rather unusual trailer launch for Ek Thi Daayan, producer Ekta Kapoor surprised again with another upcoming film -- Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha starrer Lootera.

The trailer of the period film, co-produced by Anurag Kashyap and Vikas Bahl of Phantom films and directed Vikramaditya Motwane (of Udaan fame), was launched at Liberty cinema in South Mumbai.

Sonakshi Sinha, draped in a saree with a gold border, performed a little skit with co-star Ranveer Singh onstage ahead of the trailer launch.

The launch was also preceded by a short video put together by the crew that showed behind the scenes footage shot during the making of the film.

In the video we see an injured Ranveer Singh being taken away in an ambulance even as snowfall at Dalhousie wrecks the sets put up by the production team.

The schedule at the hilly area got disrupted twice before the unrelenting crew gave it a third shot, finally succeeding to film the required portions.

When Motwane is asked about it, he says, "It's the hard work and the positive energy of the entire crew that kept me motivated. It has been a very hard film to make,"

His debut film Udaan made it to the Un certain regard at the Cannes film festival.

Does he feel the added pressure to deliver a film of world-cinema standards?

"See, the idea is to make a film that is accepted universally, whether at the box-office or the festival circuit. For me, the entire Cannes episode acts as an incentive to better my craft and deliver a product that is truly global. I do not want to become a victim of the mainstream trappings and that's the reason I have set this story in the 50's," said the director.

Lootera, as we see from the trailer, is quite a poetic romance set in the mystical era of the 50's.

Its detailed attention to costumes and the vintage art-designs particularly strike as impressive while the idea that comes across from the first look isn't the assured promise of love, but rather the uncertainty of it.

Isn't Anurag Kashyap tempted to direct the films he produces keeping in mind the fascinating subject matter?

"Well, I'm constantly battling the urge. And I face this problem especially with Vikram's scripts," says the acclaimed director.

Sonakshi Sinha, after starring in a string of formulaic films like Dabangg, Rowdy Rathore and Son of Sardar, will be seen in what appears to be a performance-oriented role.

Ask her if she thinks her new film has finally allowed her to flaunt her acting chops and she replies, "Yes, this is the most challenging film of my career. When I came on board I realised how different this kind of cinema is from what I had been doing.
"It surprised me, and there was so much to lean from everyone on the sets. I plan to do more films like Lootera but I'm not saying that I won't do the masala entertainers anymore," she adds.

Quiz her about her costar Ranveer Singh's reputation as the ladies man who flirts with his heroines (and their sisters) and Sinha shrugs it off, "No, Ranveer has been a great co-star. Since the subject is slightly on the serious side, his jokes gave us the much needed comic relief. He's been great throughout."

Ranveer, on his part, had his doubts about how he'd approach the character.

"I was constantly telling myself that I'm not this guy! How could I bring him to life? But it was Vikramaditya's faith that let me pursue the character. I have tried something out of the ordinary and I hope it is liked and accepted," the actor reveals.

Ekta Kapoor, who has dropped in late, looks svelte in her pink outfit.

When asked if she aspires to take up acting, she says, jokingly, "Probably, but I will not produce the film I act in, because I don't want it to run into losses."

"When Vikram came to me with the script, I was so moved that I cried. More than anyone, I wanted to show the trailer to my mother (Shobha Kapoor). I have never been more excited for a film launch before," she said with childlike enthusiasm.

So what is her strategy this time as far as promotions are concerned?

"Some films ring best with the subtlety of silence. I think Lootera is that film.

Lootera releases on 5th July.