Saturday, February 7, 2009

Sab kuch... by chance !

The film belongs to Konkana all the way.... she is just so convincing, it is as if she is playing herself... which , of course she is. That's what makes her performance so courageous and heart breaking in Zoya Akhtar's clever film, 'Luck by chance.' Why 'clever'? Hell... look at the premise. It is an' insiders' only' film, made by the coterie, for the coterie. It is terribly chummy, incestuous and cosy, which is precisely why it works - for the coterie. At a pinch, it also works for those movie buffs who are so tuned in to all the gossip and nuances of Bollywood, they can easily decode the 'in' jokes, 'in' digs and 'in' references. For those outside this charmed circle, the movie offers a few great moments, and little else. It worked for me, despite the restless family in the same row, with a bored, tubby little boy, his bespectacled teenage sister , a father who talked non-stop on the cell phone and a mother who kept reassuring the rest not to fret - " It is getting over fast- fast, don't worry... after that , McDonalds' okay??"
Hritik Roshan made up for any and every small lapse and looked scrumptious - a perfect Valentine's Day gift to women kind. His fluid dance moves and witty performance were worth the price of the ticket. He was yummier than all the cameos put together, though Akshay Khanna shone in his two minute appearance ( sardonic , cynical, quizzical). The ravishing Dimple, looking ravaged, but then hers was a case of inspired casting - she is an actress par excellence - from 'Bobby' to 'Luck..' - what an amazing transition. In fact, Zoya scored big time with her assured take on all the characters, with the biggest surprise being Sanjay Kapoor delivering a perfectly pitched performance - all hail the Brothers Kapoor. Unka number aa gaya hai.
Oops... how did I forget Farhan? Referred to as the thinking woman's hottie, this guy is such a natural. His interpretation of the guy who lucks out in the movie was terrifyingly bang on -cunning, devious, manipulative - a loveable rogue. To use his words in the film - was he amazing? 'Totally'. Big sis , take a bow. Films like 'Luck...' aren't for the aam janata in the first place, so no heart burn if the box office collections are average. Zoya knows her world and her craft. She has made an impressive debut, smartly roping in her best buddies from Bollywood (playing themselves), to tickle their fans. But it is the asli tone of the movie that sets it apart. It accurately reflects exactly how it works in show biz - the desperation, heart aches, compromises, disappointments and betrayals. I wouldn't call it a cynical take on the subject - just a searingly honest one that tells it like it is. Oh - Juhi Chawla was marvellous in the movie. But like I said , it is Konkana's film - she deserves an award... no, several awards. Was 'Luck..' better than 'OMO' ( same subject - Bollywood)? Much. Take a bow , Zoya. And here's to your next.

13 comments:

Preeti said...

i totally agree... film was natural and true ... and surprisingly after long time some romantic scene touched me ...i am talking about 30 sec kiss between koko and farhan ...it made me skip a beat ..so natural,i almost felt it ..:-)

A.prem said...

hmm.. well i dint like the movie at all.. i have lost interest in the bollywood masala stuff so such things and movies related to them dont matter ..

though i agree that konkana was truly amazing! :)

Shatrughan Singh said...

I got so involved while watching that I didn't even realize when it got over. I said "that's it?". I was craving for more. Both the leads were good in their performances, and I liked Rishi Kapoor's efficiency also. Overall, it's a must watch this season and can be seen again and again.

Vee said...

Ma'am, rarely do I agree to you. One of those rarest happenings. Give it a shot: http://blessed-curse.blogspot.com/2009/02/review-of-luck-by-chance.html

Sidhusaaheb said...

Sounds like paisa-vasool...

:)

Anonymous said...

Shobhaa De is honest?
Then why does she avoid answering Karan Thapar's "Mumbai or Bombay" question in the Devils' Advocate interview (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/devils-advocate-shobhaa-de-on-mumbai-vs-bombay/76806-3.html)?

peter said...

Agreed !
it's not a movie for the normal crowd and the performances are superb ..I liked Farhan more than konkana (even tho i am a guy LOL)

Hrithik was amazing as always and so was the plot..

It's worth watching :D

yellowpencil said...

Yeah I do agree with you but I can't believe you missed out on Rishi Kapoor's fantastic interpretation of the director and also you have totally ignored the lovely Isha Sherwani who, I believe, gave a really convincing portrayal of the star daughter!!

ek-ladki-anjaani-si said...

My opinion... it was quiet a pakooo movie! Yes movie belonged to Konkona only... rest useless. Me feels Zoya started out with a bang, and then by the intermission she had lost all enthusiasm in making the "Pickture" I call this B grade. Hey Shobha... you wanna see something weird? Watch.. The President is Coming. I have no words about that movie... sirf bole to bilkul weird... not good, not bad... just WEIRD

Viyoma said...

The movie sure belongs to Konkana, but be it Rock On or Luck By Chance, Farhaan has left his MARK.

Kudos to Farhaan!

Adisha said...

All the actors rocked, but I don't understand what was special about Sanjay Kapur? He did a take off his bro's charachter's in most movies. I wasn't sure if it was Anil Kapoor himself who trained him for the role. The movie is nothing much to talk about. Just another addition to the concepts of Fashion, Corporate and Page 3. Sure, the selfishness of Farhaan's charachter being excused as his basic nature was something sad yet different, but all in all it was just Ok !!!

ne2 said...

Shobha, I do agree with you that It is an 'insiders' only film.And rather than calling it Konkana's film, one should call it as Zoya's experience of being an insider to the Bollywood industry.Luck by Chance seems to another version of Corporate/Fashion or Page 3 with less Masala.We have already seen such desperation, heart aches, compromises,disappointments and betrayals in prior Bollywood movies and there's nothing new to watch about.Even the characters were underplaying.Konkana and Farhaan - both have better acting skills than exploited by Zoya Khan.Juhi Chawla was amazing in her short and sweet performance.
Though watching this movie was not such a bad experience but even I kept reassuring my sister that it was getting over and a delicious pizza Domino's pizza awaited us outside the movie hall as soon as we perform our duties well.

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