It is not often that a remake manages to add its own flavour to the storyline, but Looop Lapeta manages to do just that.
What makes Looop Lapeta cool is that this Hindi remake pays tribute to films like Runaway Bride while also holding fairly close to the original Run Lola Run.
Run Lola Run was a German thriller that turned into a cult classic, and while Looop Lapeta is a little more relaxed than the original, it is getting mixed reviews, to say the least. One of the biggest critiques that the movies had was that sometimes the number of plot threads could feel cluttered and messy.
What is Looop Lapeta about?
Taapsee Pannu places a former runner that needs to bail her boyfriend, played by Tahir Raj Bhasin, out of a sticky situation. Satya has lost the money he was supposed to deliver to a gangster, and he turned to his track-star girlfriend, Savi, for help.
Savi, our heroine, needs to hustle up enough cash to save Satya from what is sure to be a terrible fate.
While Lola had only 20 minutes in the original, Savi had a full 80 minutes to get the money and change the outcome.
Savi gets a full three time-loop attempts to help her make all the right decisions and try to get the cash in different ways. Through each loop, the decisions she makes change her life and the lives of those around her. And this is how we are introduced to more plotlines than you know what to do with.
Savi tries numerous ways to get the cash to save Satya, and each comes with its own issues. Asking her father for help, a jewellery store was robbed, and more unfolded.
In a rash move later, Savi stole cash gifted to Julie and Jacob and decided to gamble the money – and she wins! But where did Savi’s gambling skills come from? Perhaps plenty of practice on poker 888.
What makes the casino scene great is that it is a homage to the original filming imdb called Run Lola Run, and a figure looking remarkably like Lola enters the casino as Savi is leaving.
Who stars in Looop Lapeta?
Taapsee Pannu stars as the smart and speedy Savi in Looop Lapeta, but you might recognise her from her 2010 debut in Jhummandi Naadam or any of her other critically acclaimed films, including the multi-award-winning Aadukalam, which centred around rooster rearing timesofindia, which is a matter of honour and lifeline for so many people in South India.
Taapsee went on to star in a series of immensely successful films, including Pink, Badla, and Game Over, as well as gaining critical acclaim for her performances in Naam Shabana, Mulk, Manmarziyaan, and Saand Ki Aankh.
Tahir Raj Bhasin plays Satya, Savi’s boyfriend, trying to save. Tahir’s Bollywood debut was in 2014 when he played the lead antagonist in Mardaani.
You’ll also meet Victor, played by Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Shreya Dhanwanthary as Julia, Sameer Kevin Roy as Jacob and a whole range of other characters.
What is good about the movie Looop Lapeta?
It’s set in Goa, and we follow Savi as she entangles herself in the lives of others. All the while exploring how small decisions – like letting a butterfly out of a window, can change our course forever.
But unlike in real life, we don’t get three attempts to get it right. During the attempts, death is evaded, and small mistakes become much bigger.
Much like the original, this adaptation offers its own pace culture and creates a story that is easy enough to follow, you can learn more about Hindi dualingo here.
Time loop films are gaining popularity, so if you like Netflix Russian Doll, Before I Fall, Groundhog Day or Maanaadu, you will probably like this film.
What is bad about Looop Lapeta?
Many films effortless tie in humour, and it seems to happen naturally, however in Looop Lapeta, according to critics, it feels like it is shoehorned into every scene even when it doesn’t seem to fit.
While the writers have done a great job on many of the scenes, so much humour crammed in can make what should be funny, not land as well.
Some critics suggest that the conversations we witness between Gappu and Appu are boring and feel like they don’t really serve the intended purpose.
And some of the more scathing reviews talk about running jokes of repeating the amount of Rs 50,00,000 is stated rapidly becomes grating.
The dialogue could have been cleaned up a little, cut some of the jokes that seem overkill, and removed some of the more awkward forced moments that the viewer has to watch.
Where can you watch Looop Lapeta?
Over the last few years, Netflix has made a concerted effort to capture the hearts of Bollywood lovers. While they are one of the biggest streaming services, they had focused more on Hollywood and popular series than anything else.
However, the biggest untapped market for Netflix was the Bollywood movies. In 2019 Netflix released plans to invest $400 million into the Indian market.
Looop Lapeta is just one of the many Bollywood movies we can look forward to in 2022 from Netflix.
Potentially 12 new series, 13 new movies and a swathe of other great Bollywood movies. It’s not just new Bollywood or Hollywood movies we can look forward to either – cross overs like Netflix’s Heart Of Stone with Gal Gadot and Alia Bhatt.