Luck by Chance Movie Review

Movie: Luck by Chance
My Rating: 3.5/5
Banner: Big Pictures & Excel Entertainment
Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Cinematography: Carlos Catalan
Editor: Anand Subaya
Story, Screenplay & Direction: Zoya Akhtar
Producers: Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh Sidhwani
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Kapoor, Isha Sharwani, Hrithik Roshan, Saurabh Shukla, Aly Khan, Aamir Khan
, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham etc
Release Date: 30th Jan 2009

Review

Story:

Vikram (Farhan Akthar) comes to Mumbai to act in films. Sona (Konkana Sen Sharma) is his neighbor who does small roles in Hindi movies. They hit off well and fall in love. Zafar Khan (Hrithik Roshan) ditches his producer Romy (Rishi Kapoor) in the midway of a film because he did not like the script. In curious turn of events, Vikram is selected for the male lead role in a prestigious film. Vikram is a practical guy and doesn't mind using and manipulating the people to climb up the ladder. The rest of the story is all about how he realizes the importance of the dear ones.

Actors:

The first praise for the casting in this film should go to Hrithik Roshan. Being a super star in Hindi film industry, he did a role of a hero with a negative streak. Farhan Akthar is just perfect for the role of an underdog becoming a star overnight. Konkana Sen Sharma is incredible in a role that requires tremendous histrionics. Sanjay Kapoor is the surprise pack of the film and he is perfect as an egoistic director. Rishi Kapoor is good as an aged film producer. Isha Sharwani makes an impression of a dumb girl in the beginning and over a period of time, she wins our sympathy as she turns into a victim. Saurabh Shukla is superb as a mentor at film school. Juhi Chawla is adequate. Aly Khan is perfect as a manipulative producer who traps Konkana. Anurag Kashyap (Black Friday director) excels as a frustrated writer who is forced to copy DVDs to write scenes and explain the dialogues to the heroine who can't pronounce Hindi properly. Shahrukh Khan is given a vital role of putting some thoughts into the mind of Farhan. Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberai, John Ibrahim, Rahul Khanna, Boman Irani, Karan Johar, Raj Kumar Harwani and many more did special roles.

Technical Departments:

Story - screenplay - direction: Zoya Akthar (sister of Farhan Akthar and daughter of Javed Akthar) made her debut with this film. The story of the film has the backdrop of Hindi film industry. It is very difficult narrate a story that completely revolves around the film industry. Hence she has chosen to explore the relationships and manipulations aspect of stars to make an interesting human drama. Story of the film is about an aspiring young man getting the film opportunity by luck and how he succeeded in it by using the people around him. There is comedy as well as tragedy in the film. This film shows the human side of all cast and crewmembers in film industry. Direction of the film is excellent. The screenplay should have been crisp. Ending of the film is realistic. It is a good debut by Zoya Akthar who handled story, screenplay and direction of the film. The following are the best scenes in the movie -

1. The title cards sequence where the true to life characters from the respective departments of filmmaking were shown.
2. Saurabh Shukla's acting class.
3. Mac Mohan telling his Samba dialogue 'Poore Pachaas Hazaar' while giving certificates to the graduates.
4. Farhan approaching Dimple and winning her good will with praises in a premiere.
5. Scene in which Hrithik explains his image factor by showing his image in a mirror to Rishi Kapoor.
6. The scene in which Konkana attacks her reporter friend
7. Dimple Kapadia's emotional outburst with her daughter before climax.
8. Shahrukh Khan's advice to the Farhan about not forgetting the people who are with you at the times of struggle.

Other Technical Departments:

Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio is good though a couple of songs are not needed to be inserted in the narration. Sanpon Se Bhare Naina is the best of all. Cinematography by Carlos Catalan accentuates with the mood of the film. Dialogues by Javed Akthar are laced with humor and thoughtful dialogues (especially referring to Dimple as 'crocodile in chiffon saree'). Art direction is good. Editing is neat.


Final Analysis:

The initial part of the film is interesting. It is slow towards the interval. Second half of the film is very good with a realistic climax. Plus points of the film are realistic treatment of the subject and authentic direction. The negative point is the slow first half. On a whole, Luck By Chance is a nice Hindi film made on Bollywood and it will offer good entertainment for the multiplex crowds.



Source: Idlebrain.com