Classic Horrors Club

The only Bollywood movie I’ve seen is a three-hour-and-44-minute-long historical drama/musical about the game of cricket that came on two videotapes. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) was wonderful! Now, I’ve seen a second. You might call 24 (2016) “the Back to the Future of India.” It’s not as perfect as that, but It’s a funny, sweet, exciting, time travel adventure that comes close to it.

Suriya is an Indian actor who’s starred in 55 movies since his film debut in 1997. He’s been in at least one movie per year, and at most, four (in 2005 and 2010.) Here, he plays three roles:

• Sethuraman, a scientist who’s successfully invented a wristwatch time machine
• Athreya, the scientist’s evil twin brother who’ll stop at nothing to get the watch for himself
• Mani, the Marty McFly of the film, Sethuraman’s son/Athreya’s nephew

To say that one (or more) of these characters dies would not be a spoiler. Remember, it’s a time travel movie, so what’s done can always be undone. The catch is that when Athreya finally gets his hands on the device, it can transport him only 24 hours into the past; hence, the project’s name, “24.” That’s not far enough in the past to prevent himself from going through a crippling accident.

He must trick Mani into altering the watch so he can go back further. Mani a smart kid, though, so if he seems to cooperate a little too easily, it’s probably because he’s got a trick up his sleeve. The movie is full of twists and turns. I couldn’t possibly anticipate them all. Either that, or it was moving at such a breakneck pace that I didn’t notice any paradoxes or alternations in the timeline that the characters may have caused.

Another unique characteristic of time travel in 24 is that only your mind goes into the past or future. That means you occupy your body at whatever state it’s in at that time, and in whatever location. You carry with you, though, whatever knowledge you have or have previously gained regardless of where and when you’ve been. The only thing we don’t know, and I’m wondering only now, but doesn’t matter within the story, is what happens to your body when your mind travels.

The only part of the movie during which I grew weary was not it’s nearly 3 hour running time, nor it’s three musical production numbers (one like a typical Bollywood film, two others more like a music video), but the screentime Mani spends using the watch to manipulate and impress the girl, Priya (Nithya Menen.) He tells her she’s when she sees him in odd places at odd times, it because she’s in love with him.

Suriya has charisma and I understand why he’s had such success in his home country. He was 41 years old when he made 24, but easily passes for the young Mani. He’s closer to the age of Sethuraman and Athreya, but I honestly didn’t know it was him playing them until after I watched the movie. Sure, I could tell the twin brothers were played by the same actor, but not Mani.

I enjoyed this movie so much! I neither recognize the creators’ names nor other movies with which they’ve been involved. Vikram Kumar wrote and directed it. One name I did recognize, though. The music is by A.R. Rahman, the Oscar winning composer of Slumdog Millionaire. 24 has a terrific score full of energy that propels the story forward and kept me on the edge of my seat.