Starring: Konkona Sen Sharma, Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia
Directed by Zoya Akhtar
Rating: ***
Luck By Chance
A smooth and self-assured debut. Not sharply probing; an affectionate and at times indulgent insider's view.
L
uck by Chance begins with a wonderful montage showing the real people behind the Bollywood glamour. The real and the larger-than-life come together in another lovely moment that shows superstar Zafar Khan (Hrithik) interacting with street urchins across his car window. The film has pitch-perfect performances even in small roles—lookout for Sheeba Chaddha as a producer’s much-cheated wife. No doubt filmmaker Zoya Akhtar makes a smooth and self-assured debut. But, while she tells the story well, the tale itself doesn’t cut deep enough.Zoya’s eye is not sharply probing; she’s an affectionate and at times indulgent insider. As a result, the account of two strugglers trying to find their feet in Hindi film industry doesn’t go beyond the oft-told, one that has been seen earlier in Sitara, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon and Naach. Moreover, the parade by Bollywood stars in bit parts distracts, at times lapsing into familiarclichés. LBC. does have an unhurried pace and is peppered with clever lines (a diva called a "crocodile in chiffon"). However, the all-encompassing view of Bollywood gets too scattered. The old order producer and the new-age corporates, the exploited young actress and the pampered star kid, the auditions and the training—there are far too many strands and characters. Quite like a Page 3 or Fashion from Madhur Bhandarkar. Some of these stories are incredibly engaging—the old producer, who cries at being ignored by the younger order (superbly played by Rishi Kapoor), is a story himself. So is the idealistic friend who clings to theatre over films and then almost gives in to the big screen (talented, and cute, Arjun Mathur). Would it not have been better to have made LBC into an intimate take on such aspiring ADs, writers and actors who throng the Yari Road Barista?
The worst of LBC is in the obvious—SRK’s moralistic speech or the tacky auditions. And the best is in a throwaway scene where "Sambha" Macmohan is asked by a fan to enact a dialogue from Sholay. "Poore pachas hazaar," he says. Cut. Just three words and you know a star was born. By luck and chance.
High Fives
Bollywood
1. Raaz: The Mystery Continues
2. Luck by Chance
3. Slumdog Crorepati (dubbed)
4. Ghajini
5. Chandni Chowk to China
Hollywood
1. Taken
2. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
3. The Uninvited
4. Hotel for Dogs
5. Gran Torino
Latino Numbers
1. Por Un Segundo (Aventura)
2. No Me Doy Por Vencido (Luis Fonsi)
3. Espero (Grupo Montez De Durango)
4. Te Presumo (Banda El Recodo)
5. El Ultimo Beso (Vicente Fernandez)
Courtesy: Film Information
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