They say the third time’s a charm. Looop Lapeta is all about life giving you a third chance to correct and redo your actions for a better ending.
Based on the 1998 German thriller Run Lola Run (Lola rennt), Looop Lapeta has an intriguing and innovating plot that many filmmakers in India haven’t dared to experiment with. Game over [2019], starring Taapsee Pannu, was based on the theme of time. Although time is a crucial element in both these films, Looop Lapeta has a totally different scenario and approach.
Looop Lapeta and Run Lola Run have a similar thread, but the events and storyline are completely different. Looop Lapeta, directed by Aakash Bhatia and set in Goa, stars Taapse Pannu (Savi) in the role of Franka Potente (Lola), but with a bit more time to collect the money. Savi, a former sprinter, has 80 minutes to run around and come up with Rs 50 lakh, compared to Lola's 20 minutes.
Savi runs on the time crunch thrice to save her boyfriend Satya (Tahir Raj Bhasin) from the clutches of death. The film goes all out to keep its viewers glued to the screen. The main challenge with a repetitive storyline is keeping the audience engaged, which the director and his technical team have managed to do well. Priyank Prem Kumar’s play with experimental editing and a compelling background soundtrack by Rahul Pais and Nariman Khambata play a major role in keeping the proceedings entertaining. The cinematography of Yash Khanna is elegant and distinct, a style rarely seen in Indian cinema.
The movie also has a bunch of subplots. The clumsy brothers Appu-Gappu (Manik Papneja and Raghav Raj Kakker), Julia (Shreya Dhanwanthary) and Jacob (Sameer Kevin Roy) who are lovers shoulder the subplots. The stories of Appu-Gappu and Julia-Jacob are linked with Savina-Satyajeet's narrative and the outcome is messy and bizarre, but they sure the audience engaged.
The oblique and unusual camera angles, the difference in aspect ratios, parallel projection of actions and juxtaposing events as a collage also add up to what makes this film stand out. The unusual elements in the film make the audience feel like they are in a video game, a game of time and death.
Looop Lapeta offers a unique cinematic experience, but mind you the movie may not be for everyone, as it is a genre that Indian audience is not familiar with.
The effort the actors have put in to get into this unusual predicament is commendable. While Pannu has done a good job being Savi, Tahir as Satya proves that he is such an underrated actor. Tahir was last seen in the Netflix series Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein.
The audience may be tempted, given the form of the narrative, to seek a deeper philosophical meaning in the proceedings. But, to appreciate Looop Lapeta the audience will have give in to the film's unique spirit and mood. The 132-minute runtime is not a downer only because every element is sewn together perfectly.
Movie: Looop Lapeta
Directed by: Aakash Bhatia
Starring: Taapsee Pannu, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Manik Papneja, Raghav Raj Kakker, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Sameer Kevin Roy, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Rajendra Chawla
OTT Platform: Netflix
Rating: 3/5
