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Fortunes of an alternative fate

Arijit Lahiri’s Out Of Time is a first-of-its-kind science fiction horror film based on the concept of time loop or temporal loop. Here a certain length of time, such as a few hours, repeats itself over and over again and the protagonist has to solve the mystery around this and overcome it somehow.

Fortunes of an alternative fate

A still from Out of Time



Dipankar Sarkar

Arijit Lahiri’s Out Of Time is a first-of-its-kind science fiction horror film based on the concept of time loop or temporal loop. Here a certain length of time, such as a few hours, repeats itself over and over again and the protagonist has to solve the mystery around this and overcome it somehow. Bringing an interesting dimension to the genre of horror, the film features the story of a troubled young man Sameer, who is puzzled by his father’s mysterious disappearance. He, along with his friends and girlfriend, go to a colonial-era mansion to find some answers but instead gets stuck in a never-ending time loop and discovers astonishing facts from the past.

Filmmakers like Pramod Jain and Shivam Nair tried to explore the concept of time loops in their films Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein (2012) and Bhaag Johnny (2015) respectively. These films, however, failed to create make a mark and were forgotten soon after release. There have, however, been some international films which have explored the concept and pushed the envelope of cinematic conventions. Here’s a chronological list of five films that have made the idea of incorporating the time loop memorable.

Blind Chance (1987)

The Polish film, directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski, narrates three separate situational timelines in which the protagonist Witek (Boguslaw Linda) has to run after a train. In the first version, the protagonist manages to catch the train and has the opportunity to begin a political career in the communist party. In the second version, he misses the train and becomes a participant in an anti-government agitation. In the third section too, he misses the train but here he meets a fellow student on the platform, gets married and becomes a famous doctor, only to eventually board a plane that explodes on takeoff. The film is a compelling drama about the difficulty of reconciling political ideals with personal happiness. The film, which was officially banned after its completion in 1982, was permitted to public showing in 1987.

Groundhog Day (1993)

A Pittsburgh weatherman, Phil (Bill Murray), journeys to a small town in Pennsylvania to witness the appearance of Punxsutawney Phil, the famed groundhog, who can predict the weather. The crew is compelled to stay overnight when a severe snowstorm hits. When Phil wakes up the next morning, he finds it is Groundhog Day, all over again and he’s forced to live the same day over and over again until he gains some insight into his life. The narrative pattern of the film, which was directed by Harold Ramis, is particularly witty with a powerful message.

Run Lola Run (1998)

Tom Tykwer’s German film follows a tripartite structure about a young woman Lola (Franke Potente) and her scuzzy boyfriend, who accidentally gets himself in trouble when he loses the money he owes to the mob. Lola must save his life by vanquishing three different situations. The fast and kinetic progression of the film, accompanied by pounding techno soundtrack, gives it a real energy, surging mercilessly forward towards two tentative and one final resolution. An insouciant remake of the film, starring Nandita Das, was made by Anant Balani titled Ek Din 24 Ghante (2003).

Sliding Doors (1998)

Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow), a young British woman, is running for a subway train. First she misses the train and then the film backs up, and we see her catch the train, under two different circumstances. The plot of the film is similar to that of Kieslowski’s Blind Chance. The film by Peter Howitt engages the viewers with two storylines running in tandem, with the overlapping lives of rounded, likeable characters, well-realised with accomplished performances. It’s a rare romantic comedy, which effectively projects the depiction of parallel universes that raise questions about the fate and mysteries of life. The story ends on a note of thought that some things are inevitable. And there is always hope.

Primer (2004)

The film by Shane Carruth presents the viewer with a complex narrative structure where two friends Aaron (Shane Carruth) and Abe (David Sullivan) invent a form of time travel that creates such multiple overlapping timelines where the two friends lose control of themselves, their friendship and the technology. It takes the subject of time travel and all the implications that follow and lays them out in the most complicated but accurate fashion possible. The plot of the film is tough to decipher owing to the fact that the viewers perceive only a small part of the actual happenings in the story, and the scenes are not in a chronologically correct order.

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