Luck by Chance (2009)

good back-story, and good acting

Best movie of this year hands down!

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Unlike most of my reviews i won't say that the movie was one of its kind. it surely is but the majors are not very new. there are films in Bollywood showing the real life of Bollywood. The movie deals with the pre and post life of an actor(a 'debut film' being the in between the 'pre' and the 'post'). it doesn't talk about what he/she should do but what happens in reality. it doesn't criticize or judge any of the character. all may be wrong to some aspect and right to other but it surely picture them and let them show how things are. the film has very beautifully and smoothly has tackled the various situation so that no audience could get a chance to judge any of the character on the basis of being right or wrong. though at very few places i felt it getting underrated but the creativity of the writer and the director diluted them all. and the best thing is viewers can feel free after watching the film. they do not have to give extra time to think if something is missing, something was extra, or judging any of the characters.

The opening scene of director Zoya Akhtar's Luck By Chance sets the mood for the two-and-half hours or so that follow. In this scene Konkona Sensharma who stars as a struggling actress finds herself being indirectly and indecently propositioned by a sleazy film producer. It's a humorous scene because the casting couch is one of Bollywood's oldest clichés and because Aly Khan who plays the producer in question, performs that scene remarkably, giving her just the kind of smarmy lines you know you should never believe. But that scene is also dark and disturbing at the same time, especially when the camera stays on Konkona's uncomfortable expression in the end. You realise she wants the job so bad, she's going to accept his advances knowing fully well she's doing something wrong. Luck By Chance is an insider look at Bollywood, and about making it in the big, bad world of showbiz. And indeed it's a bad world. A world where friends are used and abused, where lovers are replaced overnight, where mothers manipulate their daughters, and where you're only as important as your last hit. At the same time, director Zoya Akhtar's affection for the film industry is evident in her comic, often lovable take on the business and its people who she's observed so closely as an insider herself. The film then is a deeply layered portrait of an industry quite unlike any other, a sharp observation of the grime behind the glamour, the insecurities behind the smiling faces. The film follows Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sensharma, both playing wannabe actors, who walk the walk and talk the talk and do everything it takes to realise their dreams. Both compromise on their principles to get ahead, but while one is successful, the other is not quite, this disparity ultimately driving a wedge through their relationship. Intuitively written by Akhtar herself, Luck By Chance is both insightful and funny. The film serves up a palette of colorful characters who may seem like caricatures on the outside but come packed with emotional depth and even a tinge of sad back-story. Chief among these is greasy old-school film producer Romi Rolly (played astoundingly by Rishi Kapoor) who, at one point we see break down when a superstar he created won't return his calls. Or the yesteryear siren-turned-pushy star-mum (played by Dimple Kapadia) who makes a shocking confession when confronted by her exasperated daughter. Akhtar also succeeds in keeping the mood light when necessary, packing a bagful of in-jokes, several delivered by the very characters they're aimed at. It's sporting of Sanjay Kapoor to play the failed actor brother of a big producer who turns his sights to direction, or Anurag Kashyap who's cast as the writer-with-a-serious-bent bullied into plagiarizing a foreign film, or even Hrithik Roshan as the superstar heartthrob caught up in his own image. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by all the stars who make fleeting cameos, and watch how cleverly Akhtar uses them - Akshaye Khanna forever the pensive, indecisive fellow, Aamir Khan the actor never entirely satisfied with his shot, and Abhishek Bachchan who knows how to politely say no and who ends every conversation with an affectionate hello from his daddy. Despite its languid pace, Luck By Chance is rarely boring because it's got a solid story at its heart and the characters arouse such empathy. The film is helped considerably by razor-sharp dialogue and keen casting, and the acting is consistently first-rate. Farhan Akhtar delivers a simple-enough likable performance that is just what the film required - no showy flourishes, no loud outbursts, just a straight off spontaneous act that works like a dream. Konkona Sensharma proves yet again she's the go-to-girl for complex, layered characters, and she does a swell job of investing heart and poignancy into the picture. In smaller roles, Juhi Chawla shines as the doting Mrs Rolly, and Isha Sharwani hits the right note as the not-very-bright star-kid; Dimple Kapadia is terrific as the has-been star who is so easily seduced by a youngster's praise; and Hrithik Roshan never disappoints, in fact look out for that scene in which he responds to street urchins from inside his car, he's an actor who doesn't need dialogue to communicate. A word of praise also for the lesser-known but abundantly talented Arjun Mathur who so convincingly portrays Farhan's friend and fellow acting aspirant who clashes with him. My personal favorite though remains Rishi Kapoor who leaves his stamp all over the film as the hilarious Romi Rolly. A significant debut by director Zoya Akhtar, Luck By Chance is heartwarming and heart-breaking in equal measures; look closely at those layers beneath the laughs. An impressive achievement both in writing and direction, the film is full of witty moments and sharp observations that stay with you, starting with the opening credits sequence which is the best I've in years.It's that rare Hindi film that deserves a repeat viewing just to savour its charm all over again.

There is a fleeting scene in Zoya Akhtar's remarkable new film Luck By Chance where an aspiring, struggling young actor Vikram (Farhan Akhtar) nervously enters a big budget movie premiere party. His friend who is an assistant director in Mahesh Bhatt studio has taken him along as return of a favor. Place is bustling with actors, directors, writers, big shots, and crackerjacks of film industry we reckon. He starts walking the noisy venue. Camera starts following him in commotion and calms down somehow, now fluidly capturing Vikram's point of view which is nothing less than surreal. He seems gliding though the glamorous starry room checking artists, celebrities in flesh chatting, giving interviews, drinking, cracking up from touching distance. There is something deliberately dreamy about this shot. Director has given the protagonist his moment. This is what he is aiming at.

It makes me feel so happy to see a product like Luck By Chance coming out of India. A land full of commercial cinema! I enjoyed Luck By chance to the fullest. Zoya Akthar made a brilliant debut as a director, I could not find any flaws. Farhan Akthar is one damn good actor, he expresses so good with his face. It might be because he is a brilliant director himself and knows how to deliver performances.The cast of the whole movie was very convincing, Rishi Kapoor as Rolly was hilarious but very impactful, Konkona delivers a fine performance yet again, she is one of the best actresses in the country. All the cameos made sense and wasn't commercial just like Om Shanti Om for instance. The music was used very well, no unnecessary playbacking portions, no misplacement of the songs. Sapno se bhare naina was very beautiful, Pyaar ki dastaan is shot very well aswel. Zoya Akhtar is one director to look out for, she left me speechless. SRK's cameo is very effective, his last dialogue is very effective.Awesome with a capitcal "A"!Well done Zoya, Farhan, Konkona!