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By Joginder Tuteja, April 13, 2009 - 14:33 IST
MOVIE DETAILS
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Dimple Kapadia, Sanjay Kapoor, Isha Sharvani
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani
Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
THE FILM
Year after year there is at least one film in Bollywood that doesn't meet the kind of box office success that it clearly deserves. In year 2009, such a film came quite early in the year. It was Luck By Chance which had everything going in its favor. Zoya Akhtar made an excellent debut as a director with this Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan, Rishi Kapoor starrer (yes, these three men are the pillars of this film that is based on Bollywood) but surprisingly audiences didn't really make beelines for this film. Now that was quite surprising considering the fact that the film fetched excellent reviews as well as terrific word of mouth. Also, Farhan Akhtar had been accepted as an actor after Rock On. Still, Luck By Chance wasn't as lucky as one would have expected.
All said and done, Zoya Akhtar can take a bow. She came up with a film that only a Bollywood insider could have managed. This is truly an insider's take on the state of affairs, as obvious through every dialogue, mannerism and costumes that are seen in the film. The film is a true blue multi starrer with innumerous characters forming an integral part of the narrative. However, none of them is a caricature in his/her presentation whether as an actor or the character. There is an active contribution expected from each of them and they come up with trumps.
So whether it is Farhan Akhtar who possesses shades of gray or Hrithik Roshan, who by the way has much more than just a guest appearance in the film or Rishi Kapoor whose presence in the film can just not be discounted - each of them make Luck By Chance worthy of a repeat watch. And then how can one forget the most adorable character in the film, the one played by Sanjay Kapoor. The moment he says - 'Hum bhi actor reh chuke hain' - you know that yet again the actor turned film maker is cracking a joke at his expense, both on the screen as well as off the screen.
What makes the film ticking is the fact there is something happening in the narrative every moment. There could be happy moment as well as sad moment but the story keeps moving. Of course there are number of insider's jokes about Bollywood which may not be comprehendible for that segment of audience which is not quite cued into daily gossips and grapevine in the film industry. Still, this very factor about the film makes Luck By Chance so exclusive because rather than leaving things at the superficial level and following the (safe) path that has been treaded by half a dozen odd films made earlier on the functioning of the film industry, this one actually moves into the underbelly a little more!
When a film doesn't work, the music too invariably dies a silent death. This was seen once again in case of Luck By Chance that boasts of a quality score which is situational yet high value. Since the film didn't run for long at theaters, the songs too vanished sooner than their expiry date. A pity because literally each and every song, especially the ones which play in the background, fit in so very well with the narrative.
And then of course there are these priceless cameos by Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar, Kareena Kapoor and many more which makes Luck By Chance a film worth savoring.
PACKAGING
Luck By Chance is packed in an attractive paper and plastic case that lends a quality feel to the product.
DURATION
The film's duration is 150 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES
The film comes with a 2 DVD pack with one of the DVDs boasting of bonus features that include:
- Making of the Film
- Making of the songs
- Deleted Scenes
'Making' section of Luck By Chance is easily one of the best that one has seen in Bollywood flicks. Lasting a little more than an hour, it is a true 'Making' DVD as it takes audiences on the sets, behind the scenes, into the script reading sessions, make them a part of the auditions and entertain them with a tête-à-tête with cast and crew. There is a lot of trivia which is shared as well with Zoya Akhtar being the driving factor of the entire 'Making' segment and Ritesh Sidhwani lending her a helping hand.
It's a lot of fun as on-the-sets and behind the stage camaraderie between the cast and crew members are revealed. So whether it is small arguments on the sets or shooting hassles on the outdoor locations, all of that is presented to the audiences to have a sneak peek. Moreover, majority of prominent crew members also get to talk about their contribution to the film and the fun that they had. Hence, one gets to meet the composers, DOP, choreographer, set designer, production designer as well as costume designer of the film. Thankfully, none of it becomes boring at any point of time with fun and frolic filling this DVD at regular intervals.
There are close to 10 minutes of 'Deleted Scenes' in the film as well but a couple of scenes that make the maximum impression are the ones featuring Rishi Kapoor. While one of these scenes sees him answering Dimple Kapadia's doubts around availability of Hrithik Roshan in his production, the other sees him sharing his exasperation with Juhi Chawla around Hrithik's attitude. Both being really hilarious, theses scenes should have been a part of the film!
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- Subtitles in English, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Malay and French
- Dolby Digital 5.1
PRICE
Rs. 399/=
CONCLUSION
So what was the reason behind Luck By Chance not really going an extra distance at the box office?
1. Maybe audience had already shelled out enough money on films like Raaz - The Mystery Continues and Chandni Chowk To China that had released in the same month
2. Maybe the title didn't give a clue around what the film was all about
3. Maybe the music didn't pick up much
4. Maybe the happenings in the film were too Bollywood centric and hence weren't comprehendible by aam junta
May be ... may be ... may be!
In scenarios like these, there are quite a few 'may be' statements that come into picture. However, the fact remains that Luck By Chance is a film that deserves to be seen by all who consider themselves to be die hard Bollywood buffs!
  
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