All reviews here : Luck By Chance - Page 2

so many good reviews.............looking forward to it..............Farhan and Koko look awwwwwwwsome and story looks gud too....

EEK! Cant wait to watch it! I love FA! Thanks guys!😃

Love to love you Bollywood (some Spoilers)

Khalid Mohamed, Hindustan Times

Rating: **** /5

Wink wink, a star daughter adores Gapuchi gum-gum doggy toys in pink. Blink. Now by some quirk of fate, a Delhi boy lands the plum pudding role of the hero opposite Pouting Pink in one of those love lollipop-a-loolahs. Now the producer's a funnier fig that his hurly-curly wig, the director's forever breaking into a jolly jig but don't you dare throw a fit. The nitwit movie's a freak-out hit. Yippee?

That's debutante director Zoya Akhtar's Luck by Chance – a valentine as well as a poison pen letter to good-golly-it's-Bollywood. And it actually prompts you to prance with pleasure. Akhtar's is an insider's view of La Dolce & Gabbana Vita of show biz, as faux as Beijing-produced Vuittons. Enjoy the affectionate look, then, at what all every movie practitioner knows but was afraid to package into one slick pic. Nothing clicks here for those who don't butt lick. Or kismet kicks in. Then you're in the world of cheers, champagne chin-chin. After Rock On!!, Farhan Akhtar is an actor you look forward to. And he's unpretentious and a likeable natural once again.
Indeed, L by C may not reveal any hard facts. Its extraordinary strength, instead, is in at least articulating them in the open, with crackle and cool. Akhtar's script is a bit lengthy but it has the distinct advantage of her father Javed Akhtar's brilliant dialogue, often laugh-out-loud (like too much screen aggression doesn't wash with multiplex audiences). And often achingly humorous pithy like the newbie actress simpering that her mum is her favourite person in the world, never mind if the Sunset Boulevard diva is a domineering dragonette.

Lady Dragonette (Dimple Kapadia, bankably excellent) is no cartoon though. To clue her Dumbelina daughter (Isha Shervani, impressive) into the ways of stardom, she snaps, "From the age of 16, I had to go..go to the producers." Although the script's focus is not on this mean mamma, it's her deadly designs to hit the Power List all over again that astonish you. Ditto the kooky hi-jinks of producer Romi Rolly (Rishi Kapoor, to absolutely die for) slaloming from superstar treacheries to facing new-fangled movie corporations which don't know their A's from their elbows.

The Boulevard Mum and the Rolly Polly Producer, in fact, frame the plot about the fortune hunt by a wannabe actor (Farhan Akhtar). He has been schooled in the 'art' at an institute where Macmohan delivers his two-word dialogue from Sholay., Wannabe-bop hangs out with a cynical theatre type and an assistant to the Bhatt Bros who must overnight organise a grandpa clock for a movie shoot. What a hoot. That Akhtar has extracted A-grade performances from all is as much of an achievement as her distinguished style – note especially the opening scenes and Carlos Catalon's fluent camerawork.

Next:The wannabe gets that big break by 'destiny' – that overused word in filmdom today – and inexorably, cheats on his steadfast support (Konkona Sen-Sharma), another struggler, exploited and yet as buzzy as a bee. The conversation in the finale, between the two, is so accurately descriptive of Bollywood's self-obsessive ways, that you want to doff your hat off to Zoya Akhtar. You said it, little big lady, there's no free lunch in this town.

There are scores of moments that every viewer will recognise– be it the clever ploys of a superstar (Hrithik Roshan, spot on) to drop out of a project, and later share the fact with Karan Johar (tongue-in-chic) that he has inadvertently created a competitor. And there's Shah Rukh Khan (sharp as a javelin's throw) telling the new hit hero that it's only the pre-stardom friends who matter at the end of the day. Touche.

Miraculously, there isn't one performance that doesn't ring true, be it the fussy, cruncy brunchy Mrs Rolly (Juhi Chawla endearing as ever) or the sleazoid secretary to starlets. That Akhtar has extracted A-grade performances from all is as much of an achievement as her distinguished style – note especially the opening scenes and Carlos Catalon's fluent camerawork. Irritatingly, though, the second half drones on a bit much. Boo hoo hoo. Also Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music score is just about passable – guys,what on earth was that circus song about?

After Rock On!!, Farhan Akhtar is an actor you look forward to. And he's unpretentious and a likeable natural once again. Konkona Sen-Sharma is amazingly flawless. She even carries off a last, very long shot – obviously inspired by George Clooney in Michael Clayton – perfectly. For the entire acting crew, the page-turner script and the sparklingly perceptive direction by Zoya Akhtar, here's your one big lucky ticket. Beg, borrow or steal.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=23701156-3a93-4831-9c89-1a52d73728a9&&Headline=Review%3a+EMLuck+by+Chance%2fEM

Luck, they say, is an important factor in the film industry. But talent is equally important. Thoughtfully, Zoya Akhtar doesn't rely on plain chance in her directorial debut but exhibits immense aptitude while largely highlighting the significance of fate in films.

Luck By Chance is the story of an aspiring actor Vikram (Farhan Akhtar) who comes from Delhi to Mumbai to make it big in films. Sona Mishra (Konkona Sen Sharma) has been struggling for more than a couple of years in B-grade cinema and wants to switch to more meaty roles.

Meanwhile film producer Rommy Rolly (Rishi Kapoor) announces a new project starring popular film-star Zafar Khan (Hrithik Roshan) alongside Nikki (Isha Sharvani), daughter of yesteryear actress Neena Walia (Dimple Kapadia).

Zafar's exit from the project is Vikram's entry ticket to Bollywood. Luck shines bright on him as he is short-listed for Rolly's film and selected to play the male lead. But as he gains professional fame, his personal life goes for a toss with a failed relationship with girlfriend Sona.

The uniqueness of Luck By Chance is the cheeky spoofs it attempts on the functioning of the film industry without exaggerating the outcome (like in Nagesh Kukunoor's Bollywood Calling ). Luck By Chance has some of the best employed cameos which are not just stuffed in for star-value but go in sync with the script. Zoya manages to pull off satire on several actors who make you laugh at their own expense (notably Mac Mohan, Sanjay Kapoor and Anurag Kashyup). Also the film-in-film setting gives ample scope for several parody pieces on Bollywood clichs.

While Bollywood is essentially employed as the backdrop of the film, it doesn't form the backbone, with the protagonist's character-graph taking prominence. It starts with Vikram's self-assured struggle to get into movies, progresses with his ethical corruption resulting from fame and culminates with his remorse. However, with the rejection of his repentance, the film opts for an abrupt climax where the protagonist suddenly switches from Vikram to Sona. The movie culminates on a pragmatic note much in the Madhur Bhandarkar mould, though it evades such treatment through its run by not getting hard-hitting heavy or regressively realistic.

Nevertheless, Zoya Akhtar comes up with a taut screenplay comprising of some amusingly comic-but-credible characters. The twist in the interval point is especially noteworthy where Sona loses her chance and Vikram gets lucky. The treatment continuously alternates between humour to reality bytes but at no moment gets slapstick. The narrative even covers external factors affecting the film industry comprising of acting schools, drama-theatre, corporate studios to media houses and has interesting anecdotes on each.

Anand Subaya's editing is crisp and he makes good use of montage mixture at several instances. The production design (Anuradha Parikh) and the costumes (Arjun Bhasin, Aparna Chandra) impart a perfect Bollywood feel to the film. The imaginatively shot opening credit song deserves a special mention for paying tribute to every uncelebrated craftsman involved in the making of a movie. Right at the onset, it defines and sets a perfect mood for the film. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's musical score is engaging though a couple of songs in the second half were clearly avoidable.

Almost every character in the film has grey shades though not glorified to extreme extents. The movie reveals the double standards of industry people though not showing them in an outright negative light. The trivial scene where Hrithik as superstar Zafar is separated from the external world by his car's glass window is a subtle metaphor for the confinements of stardom. The pre-interval confrontation between Farhan and his friends is another effective scene.

Zoya Akhtar succeeds in extracting perfect performances from each and every member of the cast. And if you think Isha Sharvani can't act, she is used in the film to that effect. She is not supposed to act but simply look beautiful, which she does. Farhan Akhtar comes up with a natural and confident act and glides effortlessly through his role. Konkona Sen Sharma is as dependable as always and stands tall throughout the film. Rishi Kapoor gets the looks and mannerisms of his Bollywood producer character correct and is exceptionally hilarious. Dimple Kapadia is impressive as a yesteryear actress and the doting mother of her debuting daughter. Hrithik Roshan is decent in his extended special appearance.

Luck By Chance highlights how the film industry give regards to everything else but the story when making a movie and ironically weaves a fascinating story using that paradox.

***1/2

http://movies.indiatimes.com/moviereview/4046162.cms

Zoya Akhtar may probably be best known because of her last name. And being a daughter of the famous Javed Akhtar and sister of Farhan Akhtar is no mean task.

Not surprisingly for the longest time Zoya has been in the shadows. She's been a casting director and a writer for quite many films but never really been in the limelight as Farhan and Javed.

It's probably a little known fact that she had co-directed Shankar Mahadevan's Breathless music video with Farhan.

With her directorial debut Luck By Chance, Zoya joins the league of extraordinary filmmakers of the Akhtar family – Honey Irani is her mother and Sajid Khan and Farah Khan are her first cousins.

Quite like Farah (who made Om Shanti Om), Zoya too draws upon her insight into the Hindi film industry and gives us a gem called Luck By Chance.

You know this film is an insider's perspective into Bollywood right from frame one. Full points for the opening credits sequence, which takes you behind the arc lights and the glamour of showbiz.

It shows you the guard outside the studio gates and the chaiwallah who keeps the crew on their feet with his unending supply of tea. It also shows you the dark side of the business and yet seems to tell you that there is no business like show business.

Watching the sequence you somehow seem to realise just why Bollywood attracts thousands of aspiring boys and girls who want to make it big here.

The protagonist of this film Vikram Jaisingh (Farhan Akhtar) is no different from any other Bollywood aspirant. He has left his cushioned life in Delhi where his father has an established business and is trying hard to get the big break.

His friend and a television star Abhimanyu (Arjun Mathur) is the only other guy he knows in Mumbai other than the aunt he lives with.

Sona (Konkona Sen Sharma) is also a struggling actress who has come from a small town with dreams in her eyes. A small-time producer Chaudhry (Aly Khan) makes the most of the situation and promises her a role in his next film, in exchange for sexual favours.

It is at Abhimanyu's place that Sona and Vikram first meet and eventually fall in love

Meanwhile in the more glamorous part of the same world, a former diva Neena (Dimple Kapadia) is using all her influence to give her daughter Niki (Isha Sharvani) a break with a prominent producer Romy Rolly (Rishi Kapoor)

Rolly, a superstitious person, always signs up big stars and the potential blockbuster he's working on is no different. Zafar Khan, his protg and now a big star, is to act along with Niki.

All is going well till Zafar decides to opt out of the film for a better venture. And the hunt for a new face begins.

Unknown to them, Sona and Vikram's paths are about to head in different directions – Chaudhry shows Sona the door and Vikram gets a call to audition for the lead role.

How Vikram manages to get to the top and the price the couple pays for it is what forms the climax of the film.

Being set in Bollywood, Luck By Chance is bound to be compared with Om Shanti Om. But Zoya doesn't treat her film as an out-and-out spoof on Bollywood. Of course the spoofing does form a part of the film but Luck By Chance is essentially a great human story.

Zoya also doesn't make too much of the much-hyped guest appearances and treats them with a casual panache.

So even though you may have stars like Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan in a scene, the camera always focuses on the struggling protagonist.

The camera also pans just as seamlessly from Rani Mukerji and Akshaye Khanna as they are addressing the press and focuses on Farhan Akhtar who is trying to make inroads into Bollywood.

Dia Mirza makes an appearance, as do Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Ranbir Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra and Kareena Kapoor. Boman Irani plays a shipping magnate who salvages the film after Zafar has walked out of it.

But the one cameo you have to watch out for is Anurag Kashyap's. The Black Friday director plays a writer who is forced to write scripts watching foreign film DVDs. The way he makes full use of the screen time and shows his frustration, disdain and the sheer sense of hopelessness with the system is quite funny indeed.

This tragi-comic streak runs throughout the film. You can't help but laugh out when the aspiring Bollywood actress Konkona is shown shooting for a soap opera. It takes a good minute or so for the pathos of the situation to sink in.

For all those who think Luck By Chance is about Farhan Akhtar might just be surprised at how the film ends. Because even though it focuses on this smooth-talking struggler who makes his way up the ranks, the film is essentially the story of the woman who has stood by him all along.

In a sense the film does belong to Konkona Sen Sharma who plays this part.

Your heart goes out to her because you see her being used by all the men in her life – including the pansy journalist who doesn't think twice before splashing details of her relationship on the cover page of a gossip magazine.

Hrithik Roshan who plays Zafar Khan does a brilliant job as the dancing superstar. Watch out for his dance sequences if you haven't already. Isha Sharvani does a decent job playing the part of a star daughter.

Javed Akhtar's dialogues are brilliant as usual. His wit and sensitivity comes across in every other scene. Watch out for that one where Farhan's aunt doesn't understand her nephew's desperation when he dashes out of the bathroom to take a call from a prominent production house. "It's just a phone call!" she says obviously not realising what it means for a struggler.

Luck By Chance could have been much shorter. Quite a few songs could have been done away with. The screenplay flags and the first half can be painfully slow. The struggling period of the characters lasts for over an hour and it's something that could have been edited as well.

Director of Photography Carlos Catalan deserves a special mention. His extra-ordinary camerawork is the highlight of the film. Watch out for the sequence where Konkona and Farhan are sleeping on the terrace of her middle class building as fancy skyscrapers tower over their little dreams.

Verdict: Watch the film for Hrithik's dance, Konkona's performance and all the guest stars. Zoya Akhtar shows just how a film should be made.

Rating 4/5

Luck By Chance Movie Review

January 30, 2009 12:52:13 PM IST
By Martin D'Souza, Bollywood Trade News Network

As luck would have it, Zoya Akhtar's directorial debut LUCK BY CHANCE, is an offshoot of Sudhir Mishra's KHOYA KHOYA CHAND, which released on December 7, 2007. Mishra explored the underbelly of Bollywood through the journey of his central character, Soha Ali Khan. Here, Zoya, uses her brother, the now established actor Farhan Akhtar, and Konkona Sen Sharma to take us through the machinations of the film industry.

In a subtle way, Zoya explores the dark side of film-making; of aspiring starlets, wannabe actors, struggling script-writers, star tantrums, harried producers, failed actors turned directors [all because they have a family business in Bollywood], scheming mothers, and the ever so omnipresent directors and producers waiting to exploit that girl who is desperate for a break in films.

In a nutshell, this film is a docu-drama on the film industry and though the attempt is sincere, it falls flat in places. In the beginning, in trying to establish her plot, Zoya uses too much time to explain her moves. There's the Nand Kishore Acting School [read Namit Kishore] she focuses on. The bond between Farhan and his two friends, justifying Hrithik's presence in the film in a 'guest appearance', an unnecessary scene between Manish Malhotra and Rishi Kapoor. I mean, getting all the personalities is fine, but does the script really justify it, especially when you don't want to go overboard where time is concerned. In that respect, the film is a good 20-25 minutes long. The beginning just rambles on until the time a friendship is struck between Konkona and Farhan. That's the time the film really moves forward.

Sona (Konkona) is hooked on by a false promise by a producer in the hope of that elusive break. She does bit roles at his insistence hoping that when his film goes on the floor, she will play the lead. Vikram Jaisingh (Farhan), a theatre actor, has moved from Delhi to Mumbai in search of his big break. Sona soon learns that she has been taken for a ride. By chance, she drops the envelopes containing Vikram's photographs with her 'producer friend'. As luck would have it, the photographs reach the right hands. The rest as they say is history.

Vikram gets his break, not for a side role, but for the lead. He makes his move with the heroine, Nikki Walia (Isha Sharvani). The press gets a whiff of the story and before his release; the 'dirt' has been splashed. Sona gracefully moves away, rejected a second time. Vikram shifts gears into his newfound stardom. Somewhere he realizes that he misses Sona. But she has made up her mind.

It's touching at times and at times, a spoof. It drags, as well as amuses. For an audience fed with a daily diet on the working of the film industry through articles and interviews and 'scoops' from 'sources' not only in film glossies but in dailies as well, this is nothing new.

Farhan is maturing into a fine performer. Konkona, somewhere I get the feeling, is repeating her PAGE 3 act too often. She is too talented an actress not to break the shackles of playing a woman wronged much too often. She needs a refreshing new role. Dimple Kapadia as the scheming star mother is wonderful. She brings across her pain of her years as an actress, making sure her daughter, (Nikki) does not make the same mistakes. Rishi Kapoor as Rolly the producer is impressive. Aly Khan as Sona's producer friend is impressive as well. So also Vikram's two friends (one an assistant director and another a struggling actor).

But for me, the surprise has been Sanjay Kapoor as the failed actor turned director. He puts zest into the role to make it absolutely real. Somewhere, his own pain at not being able to make it comes across and your heart goes out to him.

Commercially, this film will find it tough to break the box office shackles. If you view it as an Art film, you won't be disappointed.

Rating - 2/5
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Original title: Luck By Chance

Rating (rating scale): Really keen? Watch on screen

Quick Review:

Romance and the usual things that ensue. Clever lines amongst preachy ones. Clichd characters yet deeper too. There's equal scope to let go and enjoy or to observe and ponder.

I can imagine Zoya Akhtar taking notes every time she saw a person from the industry behave in a "typical" industry manner. She then smoothened out the edges of these rough mental sketches, deepened them ever-so-slightly, gave them a thick outline and ta-da...script ready. That's the Einstein-moment when she realized she needed a story. Damn! Back to the storyboard to weave all these characters together into a coherent plot. If it were left to her, she'd have been very happy to just continue playing around with her characters and their peculiarities for a couple more hours without ever getting to their story. And she'd have done well too.

That's not to say that she didn't do justice to the story, it's just that it had nothing spectacular about it - a love story with gray characters most of whom are ambitious. And she does tweak the simple storyline a bit too. And those tweaks might not make the movie very popular but I enjoyed them the best.

The foreground of Mumbai's filmy world has all the clichd elements any movie based on the industry could be expected to have. And yet there's charm in all its characters. Rishi Kapoor is the industry stalwart and yet has his share of insecurities. Dimple Kapadia, a Diva in her era hasn't had enough fame and is intent upon continuing to live her aspirations through her daughter. Isha playing the daughter is almost clueless but knows her way around too. Juhi Chawla's character enjoys her status in this world even if it is mostly in the name of a trophy-wife.

All these "stars" in real life mixed with Manish Malhotra, Mac Mohan, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Ranbir Kapoor, John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan playing themselves. Anurag Kashyap aces the list, I couldn't resist giggling throughout his two scenes. Don't let this list bring back bad memories from Om Shanti Om though. Even if their cameos are to multiply the glamour quotient, there's a reason for them to be smartly woven in the movie and it's not just to shake a leg or two.

This smartness runs as an undercurrent through the movie. It starts off with one of the very few non-Khans at the 'top' in the industry, Hrithik Roshan being named Zaffar Khan. Then we see him discussing a break from the mould he is set in as an actor...so he can work with Karan Johar.

Farhan Akhtar's character, Vikram has been written with great thought too. The transitions he goes through are not perfunctory or a result of an inspirational one-liner. But, you can see the build-up towards the change. We see him get vulnerable-emotional and conniving-calculative. The credit goes as much to his growing talent as an actor as it goes to the way his character is written.

On the other hand, I feel a little bad for Konkona Sen Sharma. Since she almost always picks well-written roles, this one seems like yet-another-well-written character. So even though she performs well and gets the nuances across it feels like 'What's the big deal? We know she can do that.'

Yet in this medley of little good things there are stretches of "got it, let's move on already!" There are spans which have absolutely inane-quotes-from-an-email-forward dialogues. I suppose they are meant to inspire. But such lines almost always end up patronizing in a very annoying sort-of a way. The saving grace is that they are amidst some witty one-liners.

Luck By Chance is the kind you can sit back and enjoy. And at the same time it keeps your gray cells at work. Not because of a powerful plot or any such thing. But more because the characters are thinking and talk like people do. So by any chance, if you miss it in the theaters make sure you catch it on DVD...only when it is officially out though ;)

Parental guidance:

Violence: None

Nudity & Sexual content: A couple of suggestive scenes.

Concept: The journey of an ambitious man in the world of Hindi cinema. Fame and the cost at which it comes.

Ratings: http://wogma.com/index.php/movies/card/Luck%20By%20Chance-%20Slow%20steady%20and%20almost%20wins

i want to watch this film but i will watch on dvd.

I'm so glad it's getting mostly good reviews! Excited to watch it.