Looop Lapeta: A Bollywood Remake That Loses Its Way
Looop Lapeta, the new Netflix movie starring Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin, attempts to recreate the magic of Tom Tykwer’s 1998 cult classic Run Lola Run. However, instead of embracing the lean, fast-paced thrills of the original, the film gets bogged down in unnecessary subplots and backstory. While Run Lola Run was a tight 89 minutes, Looop Lapeta stretches to a laborious 130 minutes, losing its momentum and tension in the process.
The film’s additional 40 minutes are filled with distractions, introducing a plethora of side characters and a song sequence that further slows the narrative down. This overindulgence in extraneous elements undermines the fundamental premise of the thriller, which revolves around a tight time frame. The protagonist, Savi (played by Pannu), has only 50 minutes to raise Rs. 50 lakh, yet the film constantly deviates from this crucial tension.
A Missed Opportunity to Capture the Essence of Run Lola Run
Tykwer understood the importance of pacing in Run Lola Run, utilizing kinetic energy and speed to drive the narrative. Looop Lapeta, directed by Aakash Bhatia (making his feature debut after his work on Amazon Prime Video’s "Inside Edge") clearly admires the original, even incorporating subtle Easter eggs, but fails to grasp its core essence.
One explanation for the film’s misstep could be the inexperience of the writing team, which includes four credited writers: Dr. Vinay Chhawal, Ketan Pedgaonkar, Arnav Vepa Nanduri, and the director himself. With three of them lacking previous film writing experience, the script might suffer from an overabundance of ideas without a clear focus. It’s noteworthy that Looop Lapeta improves as it progresses, with the third cycle (for viewers familiar with the original) being the most compelling. However, for the majority of its runtime, the film lacks the crucial propulsive force that a time-sensitive thriller requires.
Another factor could be the influence of producer demands. Looop Lapeta represents the second Indian remake of a high-concept international thriller on Netflix in recent months, following Dhamaka starring Kartik Aaryan. Both films falter at the beginning by introducing unnecessary distractions, suggesting that this might be an industry-wide issue.
A Deeper Dive into Savi’s Backstory, But a Detriment to the Narrative
The film maintains the core premise of the original — a girlfriend desperately trying to save her boyfriend from a dangerous situation. However, Looop Lapeta introduces significant tweaks to the dynamic between the couple.
While Lola in Run Lola Run felt some responsibility for her boyfriend’s predicament, Savi is entirely removed from his initial actions. This shift creates a more sympathetic portrayal of Savi, her motivations rooted solely in love. The film then delves into Savi’s past, revealing her as a successful track athlete who endured a life-altering injury and contemplated suicide before Satya (Bhasin) rescued her.
This expanded backstory aims to create a more complex and relatable character than Lola, but ultimately detracts from the film’s pacing and tension. The movie spends too much time setting up this backstory, delaying the core plot for an extended period. This leads to a jarring sensation as the film introduces elements that were crucial in Run Lola Run, such as cutaway vignettes of random characters’ futures, without establishing a clear context.
A Bollywood Drama That Sacrifices the Intensity of its Source Material
Overall, Looop Lapeta falls into the trap of blending its source material with Bollywood tropes. The focus shifts from the urgency of the time loop to a more melodramatic and emotional exploration of Savi’s internal struggles. The film fails to capture the raw energy and relentless drive of Run Lola Run, opting for a slower pace and a more drawn-out narrative.
The movie’s reliance on Bollywood conventions also dilutes the film’s thematic resonance. Unlike Run Lola Run, which explored themes of fate and free will with a stark and minimalist approach, Looop Lapeta ultimately succumbs to clichés and predictable resolutions.
The result is a film that feels like a missed opportunity to offer a compelling and innovative take on a beloved genre. While Looop Lapeta presents an interesting exploration of Savi’s character and motivations, it ultimately fails to deliver the thrilling and impactful experience that is expected from a time-loop thriller.
