hyped garbage

A Masterpiece!

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This movie is the heights of nepotism in Bollywood, even as it makes fun of nepotism. Farhan is a joke as an actor, good director, I'll give him that, but I do not find him convincing in KCK/LBC/ZNMD, he is not a natural actor, he acts as if he is doing it to show someone how to perform the scene (like a director). The story and screenplay by Zoya is dull and clichéd. A lot of characters in the movie are beyond annoying, like Juhi Chawla's character. She was never a good actor anyways, so when she plays an over the top character, it makes it unbearable to watch. There are couple of good moments, like when Anurag Kashyap rewrites script to meet Zafar's demands. Rishi Kapoor also puts in another seasoned performance. But nothing else is new or fresh. Zoya/Farhan, you are in Bollywood only because of Javedji. And thus we are stuck with 2nd grade talent, the kids/nieces/nephews/etc. and the sorry state of Bollywood.

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

"Luck By Chance" has most of the hallmarks of a typical Bollywood production: shimmering visuals, eye-popping colors and costumes, and gorgeous young performers all placed in the service of a slick-fiction melodrama, punctuated by elaborately choreographed song-and-dance numbers that play like glittery shampoo commercials on steroids. The difference here is that since it is Bollywood itself that is the subject of the film, writer/director Zoya Akhtar gets to indulge in some mild self-criticism aimed at a few of the weaknesses inherent in the industry. For instance, the movie questions why nepotism seemingly plays so large a role in the hiring of actors and actresses, an inside-joke, one assumes, since Akhtar chose her own brother, Farhan, to play the lead character in this film. It also makes fun of the fact that no self-respecting mainstream Indian film would be caught dead without at least a half a dozen musical sequences, even though they are rarely germane to the plot or integral to the theme. That doesn't, however, keep the makers of "Luck By Chance" from fulfilling their mandated quota of said sequences. Apparently, iconoclasm will take one only so far when there are box office receipts at stake."Luck By Chance" tells of an aspiring young actor named Vikram (Akhtar) who lands the lead role in what is described to us as "a big-budget thriller/musical love story." His sudden success becomes a cause of dissension between him and his girlfriend, Sona (Konkona Sen Sharma), since she is herself a struggling actress and has been unable to pick up more than mere bit parts in unimpressive films up to this point. She also becomes jealous of Vikram's co-star, the lovely Nikki Walia (Isha Sarvani), whose over-controlling mother (Dimple Kapadia) was a famous movie actress herself in the 1970s.In terms of dramaturgy and audience attention-spans, the story could definitely use some tightening, but it does capture some of the frustration, heartbreak and disappointment of trying to make it in the "biz." It also points out the capricious nature of filmdom success, making the case that it is often nothing more than sheer luck - of being at the right place at the right time or of having that indefinable "something" that sets one apart from all others - that ultimately determines who will make it as a star and who will not.The romantic scenes are nicely played by Akhtar and Sharma, but there's no getting around the fact that the movie itself runs on for such an unconscionable length of time (over two-and-a-half-hours) that audiences (Western audiences, at least) are bound to lose interest in the story quite a ways prior to its actual completion. That's a shame because there's much that is likable and charming about "Luck By Chance."

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.