Saturday, January 31, 2009

Luck By Chance

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A few months ago, I went to dinner with this really great friend of mine. We have been friends since our college days (although we went to different ones)

She is smart and funny and charming, kinda pretty too ;) loves sports and will tell you more about cars than Autocar ever could and can put most guys to shame when it comes to discussing women. She is just very very cool.

So the obvious question (and some common friends have asked me this) was why is she not my girlfriend? Well, mostly because I already had a great one before I met her. But suppose I didn’t. what about then?

After college though, we lost touch and went about our lives and got super busy. However, with my new found “time” I have been busy seeking out long lost friends (thanks FB, orkut, LinkedIn) and luck by chance (c’mon I had to use this SOMEWHERE!), I ran into her.

We started chatting and it was like time had never passed. Like we were right back in college lamenting how little pocket money we received and bitching about some common friends (you know who you are and you know you deserve it!)

It was during this meeting that I found out the answer to my question. Why even though she had every single attribute a guy could ever want, why nothing could’ve happened.

It was because during all our the times we spent with each other, there was not one moment where it all just came together.

Even though all the signs and ingredients were there, put together, it just wasn’t clicking.

The sum was less than the parts.

Which is almost exactly how I would put the one line summation of Luck By Chance.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the film. Infact, the parts are positively brilliant - but put together, they just doesn’t click.

Farhan does an absolutely excellent portrayal of a struggling actor who is charming and cunning at once and wants to succeed and believes in making his own luck.

You can’t help but like him even though sometimes he can be an a***ole (a line that also apparently describes me as I was told only yesterday).

Rishi Kapoor proves why he is so awesome with his excellent depiction of a “jolly” (sorry no other word quite sums it up this well) producer who is in there to show that “bollywood is one big family” angle – replete with his funny and pretty trophy wife played by Juhi

Dimple amply demos the “yesteryear superstar heroine now launching her daughter” complete with tantrums and nauseating involvement with everything in the movie.

The dialogues are really sharp and randomly funny. Funnier are the one liner’s that Farhan delivers while flirting with the starlet daughter.

Sample some classics -

Rishi Kapoor describing Dimple - “she is a crocodile in a chiffon sari”

And - talking to his script writer who is trying to turn a negative character into a positive character because the actor throws tantrums: -

“Oye institute, main yeh film Film Festival ke liye nahin bana raha”

The movie touches all aspects of the Indian film industry – from the dignified and muted potrayal of the casting couch to the insecurities of a big star who is threatened by a successful young comer. The new role of corporates investing into movies and “trying to change the culture” is also beautifully weaved in.

More intelligently connected is the way Farhan (or Vikram) goes around literally making his own luck, getting his own break and how the attitude of people around him changes once he lands the big role.

From the aunty who stops being caustic about him living in her house (he is from Delhi – like SRK?) to the childhood friend and fellow struggling actor who turns visibly bitter about Farhan’s success.

However, somehow, the bits and pieces don’t come together to give you the entertainer that was OSO nor is it as thought provoking or introspective as a Page 3.

Despite great performances by every single actor in the movie and some great songs, great dialogues, and superb direction, the movie just doesn’t quite work.

Infact, it oscillates between trying to decide whether to be dark or funny about the film industry and ends up being a grey (ok light grey) sarcastic caricature that will leave you confused about your feelings for the movie.

The sum then, is less than the parts.

So should you watch it?

You CAN watch it for Farhan and Rishi kapoor if you have absolutely nothing else to do on the weekend.

However, if you have a life altering situation (like say.. you are feeling lazy) and you miss the movie, don’t fret.

4 comments:

  1. I read your Raaz 2 review and now this... I love the way you review! I like the way you draw analogies!

    The sum was not greater than the parts? I am going to use this line from now on to try and understand a lot of things in life (but will give you credit!)

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  3. impressed by the way u correlated the things between your real life and the reel life.. keep writing..

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  4. Wd - glad I could come up with a life simplifying line for you :) I'm glad :)

    Ibu - thanks man. I will.

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