Looop Lapeta- As thrilling as running on a treadmill

Starring Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin in lead roles, Looop Lapeta gets its casting perfect considering both these promising stars seem to be running from one role to the other, if we are to go by the number of projects they seem to star in these days. Tom Tykwer’s German film Run Lola Run is the original story to which this Indian adaptation pays tribute but comparisons aside, this film could have held its own if not for the overzealousness of its makers when it comes to experimentation. Considering the film thrives on the repetitive nature of the plot, where one’s choices will determine what the end result may be, one has to keep the audience fully invested in the characters and have viewers rooting for them till the finish line. This is probably where you need extremely good actors or star power to tide over the loopy narrative and chunky editing. Savi is an ex-athlete who is rescued from committing suicide by the good-hearted but shady Satya. The rest of the film is about how she has to return the favour and save his life from his criminal boss Dibeyendu Bhattacharya who has entrusted a quick money-making deal on Satya in a do-or-die, time-bound challenge. Unfortunately, despite sincere performances from the cast, the film’s slow-paced and indulgent first half tests the viewers’ patience too much to actually pique their interest for the actual fun in the second-half. The jumpy interludes, quirky colour filters and repetitive attempts at humour further slow down the narrative. The highlight for me were the two simpleton brothers Appu and Gappu trying to loot their father’s jewellery store with their hare-brained strategies who stand out in a crowded milieu of eccentric characters. Looop Lapeta may have been a taut comic thriller if it were cut by at least 30 minutes and did not feature so many redundant flashbacks and intercuts to constantly try and keep us engrossed. By the way, it’s a bit unsettling to know how Indian cinema has unflinchingly come to a point when it is cool to point the middle finger at your father after making expletives like the f-word the most common expression in OTT vocabulary. I am no moral or culture police but dread to think what’s coming next. 

I give **1/2 stars to Looop Lapeta.

Looop Lapeta is now showing on Netflix.