Looop Lapeta: A Refreshingly Different Movie
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2022-02-07 07:09:32
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
Looop Lapeta (streaming on Netflix) is a kind of film which Hindi film audiences have not seen yet. It is based on the highly acclaimed 1998 German cult film Run Lola Run. It shows the same story in three time loops as if life is giving three chances to the lead pair to make things right. Director Aakash Bhatia keeps the narration close to the original but adds several things to make it relevant for Indian, including the Savitri-Satyavan mythological story where Savitri gets Yama to give her Satyavan's life back by tricking him into giving her a boon.
The story starts each time with Savi (Tapasee Pannu) in a toilet when her boyfriend Satya (Tahir Raj Bhasin) (note the names which match the mythological Savitri and Satyavan) calls her to say that he has lost a bag containing Rs 50 lakh in a bus and if he does not return it to his crime lord boss in 80 minutes, the boss will kill him. He asks Savi to arrange the money.
Each loop shows how Savi (and also Satya) try to arrange the money, the people they interact with, the situations they get into and most importantly, the decisions they take in the face of the circumstances they find themselves in. It touches upon the choices before people in given circumstances and the why and how of what they choose to do. It also shows the cause and effect of relationships when people come into touch with each other. As Savi and Satya do things to get out of their predicament, they come across a host of characters and each one of their lives is changed.
The sub-plots are also expertly woven in. Savi's father, who she first approaches for the money, is in a gay relationship with a man in his gym. The jewellery storeowner thinks his sons are idiots but when the police are shooting at them, he tries to protect them. The lovers who cross their path yearn to be together but how. Each of the sub-plots present choices before Savi and Satya and the end is determined by how they respond.
Although Hindi film audiences may find the proceedings repetitive, but actually it is a roller coaster ride which shows how a story will end if things were done differently. Taapasee Pannu is excellent as Savi who has to run around Goa and make difficult choices in a bid to save her boyfriend. Tahir Raj Bhasin is good as the man who wants to escape death by doing whatever it needs to get the money. There is an undercurrent of comedy and slapstick, especially in the scenes where the sons of the jewellery store owner are planning to rob the store.
Looop Lapeta is excellent if one is willing to go beyond the set formula and watch something refreshingly different.
