Luck by Chance (2009)

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

With the changing tides in Indian commercial cinema and the recent arrival of truly original,smart and creative directors to the Bollywood scene,one can now truly be hopeful of CHANGE in the way films are made here in India. But for all such intelligent films we've had here in recent times,we haven't had one which is able to set itself in this very world of "over the top" Bollywood and poke fun at it through subtle satire. Well Luck By Chance is precisely a subtle satirical look at the way things work in Bollywood along with being a wonderful coming of age film about the journey of two struggling actors. And Zoya Akhtar is a name we can safely add to the list of new age Indian directors looking to Raise The Bar and make Real cinemaIt's the story of Vikram Jaisingh(Farhan Akhtar),A Delhi boy who arrives in Mumbai to follow his dreams of being an Actor.Scoffed at by his family and even discouraged by friends, Vikram realizes that to get a big role in Bollywood ,you should either already be a star or be a star's son .But he finds support in another small time actress Shona (Konkana Sen Sharma), looking to make a name for herself in Bollywood.The film charts the separate journeys of these two and the role of Luck and street smartness in building a successful career in films.Perspicacious Vikram is able to land a big break as a lead in a big production house's film after winning the Charms of a yesteryear's superstar(Dimple Kapadia) whose daughter is being LAUNCHED in that very film.Shona, on the other hand repeatedly falls prey to the Sycophantic and unethical ways of the industry while having to make do with small ,inconsequential roles.What makes the film standout is the wonderfully layered script incorporating starkly real characters set in the industry ,like the overtly superstitious veteran film producer Romi Rolly,who swears by traditional Bollywood diktats and the general satirical tone of the film,which without being preachy is able to convincingly portray the workings of Bollywood while giving us a unique coming of age story. Farhan Akhtar's underplayed performance is the driving force behind the film as he keeps it consistently real,also being astonishingly emotive in the Dramatic scenes. The film does drag a little bit towards the end , but is successfully able to convey the message, as the lead character quotes in the 1st half "Success and Failure are just choices we make".All in all, a very impressive first feature by Zoya Akhtar

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.

Like 'Rangeela', 'Film Star', 'Om Shanti Om', 'Khoya Khoya Chand' and, to an extent 'Page 3','Luck By Chance' is another movie that takes a look on the workings of Bollywood. What makes this movie different is the treatment. The movie is part satirical and part a realistic depiction of the struggle to make it big in the movie industry. Mind you, this isn't a movie showing the extreme dark side of the film industry (like a Bhandarkar would do) nor is it a shiny bright fairy tale (like a Yashraj film would do) but rather an honest portrayal of what the main characters Vikram and Sona go through and the means by which they achieve their goals. In addition there's also an interesting subplot about all the trouble the producer goes through to get his film made and the whole casting process.Zoya Akhtar proves to be a competent director. She brilliantly manages to balance the satire, intensity and humour. In a way she's poking fun at Bollywood but also celebrating it. The visuals are colourful (though sometimes a tad too much). The characters are intriguing too. Akhtar is a capable storyteller and she manages to keep the viewers involved in the events. However, midway through the film, the pace tends to drag a lot.Farhan Akhtar is only slightly better than he was in 'Rock On' but nothing close to memorable. The role required a better actor and Farhan is just too hesitant about how to perform. Moreover he is surrounded by more accomplished and more talented actors who only make him look worse. After Hritik, he is the weakest actor in the movie. A great performance and Konkona Sensharma are no strangers to each other and it is she who really carries the film with a riveted and transcendent performance. Rishi Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor are quite funny. Dimple Kapadia is brilliant. Juhi Chawla is great as the frivolous trophy wife. The role itself is of little significance but it's always a treat to watch her. Hritik Roshan's Zafar is a caricature and why does he dance like a woman in every single film? Isha Sharvani does a decent job. Arjun Mathur gives a sincere performance as Vikram's friend. In addition there are fleeting amusing appearances by Shabana Azmi, Anurag Kashyap, Shahrukh Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Akshaye Khanna...the least memorable of which is Kareena Kapoor.Music has been quite well used. The songs are quite pleasing to the ears and the background score flows well with the story. The song sequences are colourful like the typical masala songs in Bollywood movies (thus the director achieves the intentional effect).Zoya Akhtar has written and made the film with heart but I think the film would have benefited far more with a stronger male lead. I recall reading that Saif and Tabu were the first choice for the leads and I wonder why they weren't even included as cameos after their departure. Otherwise, 'Luck By Chance' is a worthy watch.

Ever wondered about the heroine's dead-sister's friend? Well, Luck by Chance makes you.This is a film about those tens of thousands of people who light up the screen momentarily if only to take the story forward. They are the clogs that make the wheels of Indian cinema turn; the unsung heroes (and heroines) of 'the Hindi Film Industry' who don't quite make it big. Mostly because- as this film tells us- they aren't born into Filmdom's Royalty: the progeny- sons, daughters, nephews and nieces- of the Bollywood elite. The only non-entrenched non-filmi people who do make it big are those who do movies filmi-children wouldn't want to touch with a pole. Think SRK in Baazigar; or the Big B in Zanjeer. Farhan Akhtar's character is one such struggling actor who gets his break starring in a movie the Superstar walks out of. He superbly- and subtly- portrays the self-centered moral dilemma of success, torn as he is between keeping his old set of not-so-lucky friends and the new glamorous lifestyle that comes with stardom- a world in which the former have little or no place except perhaps as cronies and hangers-on. Mr. Akhtar is in fact fast transforming into India's quintessential Thinking Man's Actor. Konkana Sen is particularly moving as Farhan's much-victimized girlfriend from his days of struggle and Hritik Roshan shines as the Superstar, replete with the insecurities that come with that job.This is a very good if somewhat longish film. But we owe it to the countless could-have- beens of Bollywood to go see it. The Curtains come off quite nicely.