Luck by Chance
Encyclopedia
Luck By Chance is a 2009
Indian
drama film
written and directed by Zoya Akhtar
. Produced by Farhan Akhtar
and Ritesh Sidhwani
, the film stars Farhan Akhtar and Konkana Sen Sharma in the lead roles. Rishi Kapoor
, Dimple Kapadia
, Juhi Chawla
, Hrithik Roshan
, Isha Sharvani
, and Sanjay Kapoor
feature in the supporting roles.
The film is about the journey of an actor who arrives in Mumbai
to become a movie star. How he finds himself riding his fortune to becoming one, while struggling to sustain his relationships forms the rest of the story. The film was released on 30 January 2009, supported by positive reviews from critics but failed miserably at the box office.
) arrives in Mumbai
to make it as a Bollywood
film star with the help of Abhimanyu (Arjun Mathur
), an actor friend from his hometown, and their mutual friend Sameer, who works in a studio prop
s department.
Vikram befriends Abhi's neighbor, young actress Sona Mishra (Konkona Sen Sharma
), with whom he eventually becomes romantically involved. Sona, the mistress of small-time producer Satish Chowdhury (Alyy Khan), who for three years has promised her a leading role in his dream project, meanwhile works in regional films and bit parts.
Sona finds out that Satish has secured financing for the new project and meets him expecting him to cast her as second heroine, but he refuses saying that they need a new face and since she has acted in many regional films and other small roles she is no longer a fresh face. She argues that she can act well but he says that is not a major criteria these days in Bollywood. Sona is crying when Satish's wife enters and asks her why she is crying. Sona answers by fabricating a lie about trouble at home to save both her and Satish's embarrassment. Sona while leaving the both of them gives photos of Vikram to Satish who shows it to his wife and who in turn shows them to Romy(Rishi Kapoor
).
Vikram is shortlisted and Neena sees his audition and tries to remember where has she met him before. Vikram is told that the audition was for the lead role in the film and that Neena has seen his audition. He goes back and sees every movie Neena has starred in and when he finally meets her again, he impresses her with his charm and knowledge about her movies. Another guy who was also shortlisted is made overconfident by Vikram. Finally he is selected by Neena, Ranjit (director of the film Sanjay Kapoor
) and Romy's wife (Juhi Chawla
), while Romy wanted to select the other macho guy, but was convinced by the three that Vikram has a charm that will appeal more to the public.
On set Vikram becomes increasingly crafty and manipulative, while Nikki becomes smitten by him and sneaks into his room one night while her mother is asleep in an attempt to seduce him. Vikram succumbs to her advances and a secret affair starts between the two, the affair becomes stronger when Neena has to leave the set on business for a few days. Meanwhile, Sona arrives at the hotel where the cast is staying to surprise Vikram. She calls a friend to let her know that she has arrived, but her friend instead warns her of a blossoming romance between Vikram and Nikki. She doesn't take heed of her friends warning but discovers the truth when she sees Vikram's unexpectedly cold behavior towards her. Distraught, she leaves the hotel. After coming back Neena instantly recognizes that something is going on between them and makes them understand that it will be mutually beneficial for them not to let the press and public know of their intimacy.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the news of the affair has leaked and a friend of Sona who works at a tabloid gets the assignment to prepare the article, which describes Vikram as a user who has shot to stardom by manipulating Neena and her daughter Nikki. The article also mentions details of when he was struggling to land a role and Sona's part in his life as the forgotten girlfriend. Neena yells at the magazine editor and also tells Nikki to stay away from Vikram. Vikram and Nikki have a fight and Vikram also shows his frustration to Sona as he believes she is the one responsible for the article.
Eventually the film is released and it becomes a hit. Vikram rises to stardom but at the expense of his friends. At a party, he meets his idol Shah Rukh Khan, who advises him to not fall into the trappings of stardom and to always be close to the people that stood by him when he was a nobody. He tries to get back with Sona but she points out that he only wants to be with her because he feels guilty. She refuses and walks out of his life. Sona soon gets good roles on television and is interviewed by a reporter for her fan following. The film ends with her revealing to the reporter that she is happy living the life of an independent and somewhat successful actress instead of being upset about not becoming a major movie star.
said in an interview that she wrote the first draft seven years ago while relaxing on Palolem beach in Goa
. In an interview she said:
The production team went through a host of names, like Madhuri Dixit
, Saif Ali Khan
, Kajol
, Karisma Kapoor
and Tabu
. Having seen a lot of struggling actors come to Mumbai to make a living out of Bollywood
, Zoya found it was easy to write the script for the film without any research. She was inspired to write this movie by a lot of Bollywood
-inspired movies like Guddi
, Rangeela
and Om Shanti Om
.
Javed Akhtar
wrote the dialogues for the film, incorporating, as Zoya puts it, his bizarre sense of humour. Farhan had to reportedly train to get six pack abs for the film. He was trained by Cheetah Yagnesh, who appeared on the film as Farhan's character's trainer.
Filming faced lot of problems, including the unpredictable Mumbai rains, which halted a song shoot with Hrithik Roshan. The rains washed out the entire set, and eventually the entire tent began to leak. Zoya was afraid that this would lead to short-circuit, and so all the lights had to be switched off.
According to Farhan, principal photography for the film was completed in October.
cast her brother Farhan
to play the lead role after it was suggested to her by director Reema Kagti. She became convinced after seeing Farhan's performance in Fakir of Venice
. She said in an interview, "Farhan was the perfect choice for the role in Luck By Chance because he knows the industry in and out. He is smart and bright and both of us have been working together for years". Problems arose with the huge casting of the film. Zoya said, "I had to really think it out when I was deciding on these multiple actors that I wanted in the film. It was tough to decide especially because I wanted the right actors who could play themselves and still look believable as part of the film. Then there are other good actors like Boman Irani
and Saurabh Shukla
, who are playing characters in the film". Next to be cast were her parents, Javed Akhtar
and Shabana Azmi
, along with such veteran stars as Rishi Kapoor
and Dimple Kapadia
. Zoya said, "We could have had Shabana (Azmi) as the diva, but I needed a mainstream heroine. Only a leading lady would do. Dimple has played it edgy. She's all warm, soft sunshine and then there's a flip and she's hard, cold, steely". Isha Sharvani
teams up again with Hrithik Roshan
after appearing together in an ad. Juhi Chawla
joined the cast playing Minty, the wife of producer Rommy Rolly.
and Konkona Sen Sharma
. They promoted the whole movie across the nation in all 112 stores in 10 cities in the country as well to the international audiences through its Video-on-Demand (VOD) site. The pre-release promotional activities included online marketing and publicity of the film’s music videos, trailers, downloads, movie previews, preview shows, contests and continue with other promotional activities post the movie release like meet-n-greet events with the star cast at select cities. A unique promotional campaign was launched by producers Farhan Akhtar
and Ritesh Sidhwani
called "Auto By Chance". They have introduced 10 ‘Auto by Chance’ three-wheelers in suburban Mumbai suburbs that will transport people free of charge to the destination of their choice in the suburbs. The promotion is being run in conjunction with Big FM radio station and Godrej
. One passenger will be interviewed live by an RJ and go on air with his experience of getting lucky and enjoying the free ride. The Indian gaming portal Zapak.com
created a microsite for the movie with a game, "Luck by Chance - Lucky Break".
, but was pushed to January 30. The movie was released on 900 screens worldwide in 27 countries. Of this, over 700 screens are in India and the rest in such overseas markets as the US, Canada
, UK, UAE, Australia
, South Africa
, and New Zealand
.
wrote, "Zoya pokes fun at Bollywood but she does it with a great affection. There are some lovely little moments like the star daughter in a super short skin-tight outfit struggling to touch her producer's feet without splitting a seam. But what makes Luck By Chance compelling is the layers beneath the laughs. Though the first half wobbles precariously as the script struggles to find a momentum, but thankfully the narrative flows better in the latter half and culminates in a satisfying, bittersweet end". In the review at UAE Daily the United Arab Emirates
reviewer said, "One of the prime reasons why Luck By Chance works is because [of] the writing. [...] Right from the characters, to the individualistic scenes, to the way Zoya puts them in a sequence, Luck By Chance is easily one of the most cohesive scripts this side of the Atlantic. If Zoya's writing is superb, her execution of the written material deserves distinction marks". The Times of India
said, "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". Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL.in
cited some drawbacks and said, "Luck By Chance provides you some smiles throughout the movie. However, it fails to leave you with the content smile that a feel-good movie ideally aims to do.".
The movie achieved 71 percent positive rating, by seven critics, on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Neil Genzlinger
of The New York Times
said, "It might seem as if Bollywood couldn't possibly satirize itself — the genre is already so over-the-top — but Zoya Akhtar manages the trick deftly in Luck by Chance. [...] A fabulous circus-theme musical number pulls out all the stops, but a scene in which an acting teacher explains why Hindi stars have to be more talented than those in Hollywood is a subtle comic gem". [...] [I]t is Mr. Akhtar whose understated performance holds together this far-ranging, cameo-filled film. He manages to remain sympathetic even while wreaking romantic havoc". Frank Lovece
of Film Journal International
characterized it as, 'The Player
meets All About Eve
in this seriocomic satire
of the Bollywood film industry by a first-time director whose collaring of over a dozen major Hindi stars for cameos speaks well of its biting accuracy", while Kyle Smith
of the New York Post
found it "gently humorous" and "almost totally lacking in the cynicism, self-hatred and ennui that characterizes inside-Hollywood flicks".
In the US, the movie debuted at number 32. In its opening weekend, the film collected $217,439 (approx. Rs. 1.06 crores) on 61 screens, a per-screen average of $3,556. In the UK, Luck By Chance debuted at number 21 and collected £73,822 (approx. Rs. 50.95 lacs) on 50 screens, with a per-screen average of £1,476. The movie did poorly in Australia but was a big flop in India, grossing $3,914,500 at the Indian box office. Worldwide, the film grossed $4,504,365.
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
Indian
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written and directed by Zoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar is a contemporary Indian film director. She made her debut as director with critically acclaimed Luck By Chance.-Personal life:Zoya Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Bombay...
. Produced by Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
and Ritesh Sidhwani
Ritesh Sidhwani
Ritesh Sidhwani is a Bollywood film producer, who founded a film production house under the banner of Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd...
, the film stars Farhan Akhtar and Konkana Sen Sharma in the lead roles. Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
, Dimple Kapadia
Dimple Kapadia
Dimple Chunnibhai Kapadia is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 16, playing the title role in Raj Kapoor's teen romance Bobby . In that same year she married Indian actor Rajesh Khanna, and retired from acting. Kapadia returned to films in 1984 after her separation...
, Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla is an Indian actress, film producer and television presenter.After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career...
, Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.After having appeared in films as a child actor in the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai for which Roshan earned his Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut...
, Isha Sharvani
Isha Sharvani
Isha Sharvani is an Indian dancer and actress. She is known for her stylistic and difficult dance performances...
, and Sanjay Kapoor
Sanjay Kapoor
Sanjay Kapoor is a Bollywood actor and producer.Son of film producer, Surinder Kapoor, he is the younger brother of actor Anil Kapoor and producer Boney Kapoor and brother-in-law of actress Sridevi...
feature in the supporting roles.
The film is about the journey of an actor who arrives in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
to become a movie star. How he finds himself riding his fortune to becoming one, while struggling to sustain his relationships forms the rest of the story. The film was released on 30 January 2009, supported by positive reviews from critics but failed miserably at the box office.
Plot
Young actor Vikram Jaisingh (Farhan AkhtarFarhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
) arrives in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
to make it as a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film star with the help of Abhimanyu (Arjun Mathur
Arjun Mathur
Arjun Mathur is a British Indian actor who has appeared in such Bollywood films as Luck by Chance and My Name Is Khan.-Early life and education:...
), an actor friend from his hometown, and their mutual friend Sameer, who works in a studio prop
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
s department.
Vikram befriends Abhi's neighbor, young actress Sona Mishra (Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
), with whom he eventually becomes romantically involved. Sona, the mistress of small-time producer Satish Chowdhury (Alyy Khan), who for three years has promised her a leading role in his dream project, meanwhile works in regional films and bit parts.
Sona finds out that Satish has secured financing for the new project and meets him expecting him to cast her as second heroine, but he refuses saying that they need a new face and since she has acted in many regional films and other small roles she is no longer a fresh face. She argues that she can act well but he says that is not a major criteria these days in Bollywood. Sona is crying when Satish's wife enters and asks her why she is crying. Sona answers by fabricating a lie about trouble at home to save both her and Satish's embarrassment. Sona while leaving the both of them gives photos of Vikram to Satish who shows it to his wife and who in turn shows them to Romy(Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
).
Vikram is shortlisted and Neena sees his audition and tries to remember where has she met him before. Vikram is told that the audition was for the lead role in the film and that Neena has seen his audition. He goes back and sees every movie Neena has starred in and when he finally meets her again, he impresses her with his charm and knowledge about her movies. Another guy who was also shortlisted is made overconfident by Vikram. Finally he is selected by Neena, Ranjit (director of the film Sanjay Kapoor
Sanjay Kapoor
Sanjay Kapoor is a Bollywood actor and producer.Son of film producer, Surinder Kapoor, he is the younger brother of actor Anil Kapoor and producer Boney Kapoor and brother-in-law of actress Sridevi...
) and Romy's wife (Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla is an Indian actress, film producer and television presenter.After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career...
), while Romy wanted to select the other macho guy, but was convinced by the three that Vikram has a charm that will appeal more to the public.
On set Vikram becomes increasingly crafty and manipulative, while Nikki becomes smitten by him and sneaks into his room one night while her mother is asleep in an attempt to seduce him. Vikram succumbs to her advances and a secret affair starts between the two, the affair becomes stronger when Neena has to leave the set on business for a few days. Meanwhile, Sona arrives at the hotel where the cast is staying to surprise Vikram. She calls a friend to let her know that she has arrived, but her friend instead warns her of a blossoming romance between Vikram and Nikki. She doesn't take heed of her friends warning but discovers the truth when she sees Vikram's unexpectedly cold behavior towards her. Distraught, she leaves the hotel. After coming back Neena instantly recognizes that something is going on between them and makes them understand that it will be mutually beneficial for them not to let the press and public know of their intimacy.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the news of the affair has leaked and a friend of Sona who works at a tabloid gets the assignment to prepare the article, which describes Vikram as a user who has shot to stardom by manipulating Neena and her daughter Nikki. The article also mentions details of when he was struggling to land a role and Sona's part in his life as the forgotten girlfriend. Neena yells at the magazine editor and also tells Nikki to stay away from Vikram. Vikram and Nikki have a fight and Vikram also shows his frustration to Sona as he believes she is the one responsible for the article.
Eventually the film is released and it becomes a hit. Vikram rises to stardom but at the expense of his friends. At a party, he meets his idol Shah Rukh Khan, who advises him to not fall into the trappings of stardom and to always be close to the people that stood by him when he was a nobody. He tries to get back with Sona but she points out that he only wants to be with her because he feels guilty. She refuses and walks out of his life. Sona soon gets good roles on television and is interviewed by a reporter for her fan following. The film ends with her revealing to the reporter that she is happy living the life of an independent and somewhat successful actress instead of being upset about not becoming a major movie star.
Cast
- Farhan AkhtarFarhan AkhtarFarhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
as Vikram Jaisingh - Konkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen SharmaKonkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
as Sona Mishra - Rishi KapoorRishi KapoorRishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
as Rommy Rolly - Dimple KapadiaDimple KapadiaDimple Chunnibhai Kapadia is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 16, playing the title role in Raj Kapoor's teen romance Bobby . In that same year she married Indian actor Rajesh Khanna, and retired from acting. Kapadia returned to films in 1984 after her separation...
as Neena Walia - Juhi ChawlaJuhi ChawlaJuhi Chawla is an Indian actress, film producer and television presenter.After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career...
as Minty Rolly - Sanjay KapoorSanjay KapoorSanjay Kapoor is a Bollywood actor and producer.Son of film producer, Surinder Kapoor, he is the younger brother of actor Anil Kapoor and producer Boney Kapoor and brother-in-law of actress Sridevi...
as Ranjit Rolly - Isha SharvaniIsha SharvaniIsha Sharvani is an Indian dancer and actress. She is known for her stylistic and difficult dance performances...
as Nikki Walia - Hrithik RoshanHrithik RoshanHrithik Roshan is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.After having appeared in films as a child actor in the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai for which Roshan earned his Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut...
as Zaffar Khan - Saurabh ShuklaSaurabh Shukla-Early life:Shukla's family left Gorakhpur for Delhi when he was two years old. After completing his schooling, he did his graduation from Khalsa College, Delhi...
as Acting teacher - Aly Khan as Chaudhary
Guest Appearance
Appearing as themselves:- Shahrukh KhanShahrukh KhanShahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
- Aamir KhanAamir KhanAamir Hussain Khan is an Indian film actor, director and producer who has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema....
- Rani MukerjiRani MukerjiRani Mukerji is an Indian film actress who works in Hindi movies. In the course of her film career, she has received six Filmfare Awards, among twelve nominations....
- Kareena KapoorKareena KapoorKareena Kapoor , often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards, among nine nominations, and has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary...
- Abhishek BachchanAbhishek BachchanAbhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai....
- John AbrahamJohn Abraham (actor)John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...
- Karan JoharKaran JoharKaran Johar is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and Television host. He is the son of Hiroo Johar and Yash Johar. He is one of the most successful filmmakers in Bollywood. He is most known for directing and producing some of Bollywood's highest grossing films in India and the...
- Ranbir KapoorRanbir KapoorRanbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...
- Akshaye KhannaAkshaye KhannaAkshaye Khanna is a critically acclaimed Indian film actor who works in Hindi cinema. Known for his impeccable acting talent and flawless diction, Khanna has worked with the best names in Indian cinema.- Background :...
- Vivek OberoiVivek OberoiVivek Oberoi is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Suresh Oberoi and Yashodhara Oberoi.- Early life :Vivek attended Mayo college in Ajmer. At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by the director of New York University who took Vivek off to New York, where he completed his...
- Dia MirzaDia MirzaDia Mirza Handrich nicknamed Dee and more popularly known as Dia Mirza, is a Indian model and actress who appears in Bollywood films...
- Anurag KashyapAnurag Kashyap (director)Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
- Mushtaq Sheikh
- Javed AkhtarJaved AkhtarJaved Akhtar is a poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. Some of his most successful work was done in the late 1970s and 1980s with Salim Khan as half of the script-writing duo credited as Salim-Javed...
- Shabana AzmiShabana AzmiShabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India of Pune, she made her film debut in 1974 and soon became one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema, an Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and...
- Boman IraniBoman IraniBoman Irani is an Indian film and theatre actor and photographer. Irani began his acting career in theatre and moved to film in 2000 at the age of 44 with a role in Josh...
as Dinaz Aziz - Manish MalhotraManish MalhotraManish Malhotra is considered to be India's leading and most successful fashion designer.Manish Malhotra has designed for many leading actresses in Bollywood. He is known for his different style and his ability to envision a 'look' for the character. He is known for designing the costumes for...
- Mac MohanMac MohanMohan Makijany , popularly known as Mac Mohan, was a well-known Indian character actor in Hindi language films...
- Rajkumar HiraniRajkumar HiraniRajkumar Hirani is a National Award and Filmfare Award winning Indian director, screenwriter and film editor of Hindi films, best known for the films Munna Bhai MBBS , Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots , considered the highest-grossing Hindi film by distributor-share.-Early life and...
- Ronit RoyRonit RoyRonit Roy is an Indian television and Bollywood actor, known for the roles of Dharamraj Mahiyavanshi, Rishabh Bajaj, Mihir Virani and Aparajit Deb. He is now in the serial Adaalat as KD Pathak. Roy has been referred to as the Amitabh Bachchan of small screen...
- Manish AcharyaManish AcharyaManish Acharya was an Indian film director and actor. Acharya was best known for Loins of Punjab Presents, which marked Acharya's debut as a film director. Loins of Punjab Presents, which was released in 2007, starred Shabana Azmi...
- Sheeba Chaddha
- Mohsin Akhtar as Kunal
Crew
- Distributor: Excel EntertainmentExcel EntertainmentExcel Entertainment is an Indian film studio based in Mumbai. It was created by Farhan Akhtar, and Ritesh Sidhwani in 1999. The two have gone on to create several films under Excel's banner.-Farhan Akhtar:...
, Reliance Big Pictures - Producer: Farhan AkhtarFarhan AkhtarFarhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
, Ritesh SidhwaniRitesh SidhwaniRitesh Sidhwani is a Bollywood film producer, who founded a film production house under the banner of Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd...
, Zoya AkhtarZoya AkhtarZoya Akhtar is a contemporary Indian film director. She made her debut as director with critically acclaimed Luck By Chance.-Personal life:Zoya Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Bombay... - Director: Zoya AkhtarZoya AkhtarZoya Akhtar is a contemporary Indian film director. She made her debut as director with critically acclaimed Luck By Chance.-Personal life:Zoya Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Bombay...
- Story: Zoya AkhtarZoya AkhtarZoya Akhtar is a contemporary Indian film director. She made her debut as director with critically acclaimed Luck By Chance.-Personal life:Zoya Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Bombay...
- Director of Photography: Carlos Catalan
- Music Director: Shankar-Ehsaan-LoyShankar-Ehsaan-LoyShankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages...
- Sound Design: Baylon Fonseca
- Edited by: Anand Subaya
Development
Zoya AkhtarZoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar is a contemporary Indian film director. She made her debut as director with critically acclaimed Luck By Chance.-Personal life:Zoya Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Bombay...
said in an interview that she wrote the first draft seven years ago while relaxing on Palolem beach in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. In an interview she said:
I hand wrote it and it was some ridiculous, epic-length when I came back and transcribed it on my laptop. The first film is the easiest to write because it's usually what the person knows their personal graphs, milieu and feelings. Luck By Chance is not about established actors, but those who are waiting for things to happen. Farhan's character is fresh off the boat, while Konkana's does bit roles, looking for a big break.
The production team went through a host of names, like Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and most accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercially successful films and was recognised for several of...
, Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
, Kajol
Kajol
Kajol Devgn , better known as Kajol, is an Indian film actress appearing in Hindi films. She is regarded as one of India's most successful and talented female actors....
, Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor , often informally referred to as Lolo, is an Indian actress who made her debut in 1991, and appears in Bollywood films. During her career, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest...
and Tabu
Tabu (actress)
Tabu is an Indian film actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Bengali language films, as well as one American film...
. Having seen a lot of struggling actors come to Mumbai to make a living out of Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
, Zoya found it was easy to write the script for the film without any research. She was inspired to write this movie by a lot of Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
-inspired movies like Guddi
Guddi
Guddi is a 1971 film directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and written by Gulzar. It starred Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Utpal Dutt. It is Jaya Bachchan 's career making film in which she plays a school girl obsessed with the actor Dharmendra, who plays himself. She earned a Filmfare nomination as...
, Rangeela
Rangeela (film)
Rangeela is a 1995 Hindi film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, and starring Aamir Khan, Jackie Shroff and Urmila Matondkar.Rangeela was music director A. R. Rahman's debut Hindi film with an original score, as the previous ones were dubbed from his Tamil scores...
and Om Shanti Om
Om Shanti Om (film)
Om Shanti Om is a 2007 Bollywood musical film directed and choreographed by Farah Khan. It stars Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles while Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade, and Kirron Kher feature in supporting roles...
.
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar is a poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. Some of his most successful work was done in the late 1970s and 1980s with Salim Khan as half of the script-writing duo credited as Salim-Javed...
wrote the dialogues for the film, incorporating, as Zoya puts it, his bizarre sense of humour. Farhan had to reportedly train to get six pack abs for the film. He was trained by Cheetah Yagnesh, who appeared on the film as Farhan's character's trainer.
Filming faced lot of problems, including the unpredictable Mumbai rains, which halted a song shoot with Hrithik Roshan. The rains washed out the entire set, and eventually the entire tent began to leak. Zoya was afraid that this would lead to short-circuit, and so all the lights had to be switched off.
According to Farhan, principal photography for the film was completed in October.
Casting
Zoya AkhtarZoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar is a contemporary Indian film director. She made her debut as director with critically acclaimed Luck By Chance.-Personal life:Zoya Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Bombay...
cast her brother Farhan
Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
to play the lead role after it was suggested to her by director Reema Kagti. She became convinced after seeing Farhan's performance in Fakir of Venice
Fakir of Ava
Isaiah Harris Hughes , better known as the Fakir of Ava, was a 19th century stage magician, the teacher of Harry Kellar....
. She said in an interview, "Farhan was the perfect choice for the role in Luck By Chance because he knows the industry in and out. He is smart and bright and both of us have been working together for years". Problems arose with the huge casting of the film. Zoya said, "I had to really think it out when I was deciding on these multiple actors that I wanted in the film. It was tough to decide especially because I wanted the right actors who could play themselves and still look believable as part of the film. Then there are other good actors like Boman Irani
Boman Irani
Boman Irani is an Indian film and theatre actor and photographer. Irani began his acting career in theatre and moved to film in 2000 at the age of 44 with a role in Josh...
and Saurabh Shukla
Saurabh Shukla
-Early life:Shukla's family left Gorakhpur for Delhi when he was two years old. After completing his schooling, he did his graduation from Khalsa College, Delhi...
, who are playing characters in the film". Next to be cast were her parents, Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar is a poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. Some of his most successful work was done in the late 1970s and 1980s with Salim Khan as half of the script-writing duo credited as Salim-Javed...
and Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India of Pune, she made her film debut in 1974 and soon became one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema, an Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and...
, along with such veteran stars as Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor is an Indian Bollywood actor, film producer and director.-Early life:Born in Chembur Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and star Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Campion School,Mumbai. His brothers are well-known actors: Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv...
and Dimple Kapadia
Dimple Kapadia
Dimple Chunnibhai Kapadia is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut at the age of 16, playing the title role in Raj Kapoor's teen romance Bobby . In that same year she married Indian actor Rajesh Khanna, and retired from acting. Kapadia returned to films in 1984 after her separation...
. Zoya said, "We could have had Shabana (Azmi) as the diva, but I needed a mainstream heroine. Only a leading lady would do. Dimple has played it edgy. She's all warm, soft sunshine and then there's a flip and she's hard, cold, steely". Isha Sharvani
Isha Sharvani
Isha Sharvani is an Indian dancer and actress. She is known for her stylistic and difficult dance performances...
teams up again with Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.After having appeared in films as a child actor in the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai for which Roshan earned his Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut...
after appearing together in an ad. Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla
Juhi Chawla is an Indian actress, film producer and television presenter.After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career...
joined the cast playing Minty, the wife of producer Rommy Rolly.
Promotion
The producers decided to go with subtle promotion for the movie, while letting audiences explore the film by themselves. The main trailer for the movie was released on the last week of December. The trailer introduced the main characters and set the pace for the what the movie was about. BigFlix, a part of Reliance BIG Entertainment Ltd, was given the task of promoting the movie. The first bit of promotion came from the music album wherein winners were given signed music albums by Farhan AkhtarFarhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
and Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...
. They promoted the whole movie across the nation in all 112 stores in 10 cities in the country as well to the international audiences through its Video-on-Demand (VOD) site. The pre-release promotional activities included online marketing and publicity of the film’s music videos, trailers, downloads, movie previews, preview shows, contests and continue with other promotional activities post the movie release like meet-n-greet events with the star cast at select cities. A unique promotional campaign was launched by producers Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...
and Ritesh Sidhwani
Ritesh Sidhwani
Ritesh Sidhwani is a Bollywood film producer, who founded a film production house under the banner of Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd...
called "Auto By Chance". They have introduced 10 ‘Auto by Chance’ three-wheelers in suburban Mumbai suburbs that will transport people free of charge to the destination of their choice in the suburbs. The promotion is being run in conjunction with Big FM radio station and Godrej
Godrej Group
The Godrej Group is an Indian conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, India. It was founded by Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Godrej in 1897, Lalbaug, Mumbai...
. One passenger will be interviewed live by an RJ and go on air with his experience of getting lucky and enjoying the free ride. The Indian gaming portal Zapak.com
Zapak
Zapak.com is a privately-held, online gaming portal, with browser games in India , promoted by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group's subsidiary company Reliance Big Entertainment...
created a microsite for the movie with a game, "Luck by Chance - Lucky Break".
Release
The movie was initially scheduled to be released 23 January 2009, alongside Raaz - The Mystery ContinuesRaaz - The Mystery Continues
Raaz – The Mystery Continues, shortened as RTMC, , directed by Mohit Suri, is a 2009 horror film starring Emraan Hashmi and Kangana Ranaut. Story wise, it is not a direct sequel to the 2002 movie Raaz. The film deals with issues of the “evil within” the human psyche and how it manifests itself...
, but was pushed to January 30. The movie was released on 900 screens worldwide in 27 countries. Of this, over 700 screens are in India and the rest in such overseas markets as the US, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, UK, UAE, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Critical reception
The film was well received by critics, Anupama Chopra of NDTVNDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
wrote, "Zoya pokes fun at Bollywood but she does it with a great affection. There are some lovely little moments like the star daughter in a super short skin-tight outfit struggling to touch her producer's feet without splitting a seam. But what makes Luck By Chance compelling is the layers beneath the laughs. Though the first half wobbles precariously as the script struggles to find a momentum, but thankfully the narrative flows better in the latter half and culminates in a satisfying, bittersweet end". In the review at UAE Daily the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
reviewer said, "One of the prime reasons why Luck By Chance works is because [of] the writing. [...] Right from the characters, to the individualistic scenes, to the way Zoya puts them in a sequence, Luck By Chance is easily one of the most cohesive scripts this side of the Atlantic. If Zoya's writing is superb, her execution of the written material deserves distinction marks". The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
said, "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". Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL.in
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
cited some drawbacks and said, "Luck By Chance provides you some smiles throughout the movie. However, it fails to leave you with the content smile that a feel-good movie ideally aims to do.".
The movie achieved 71 percent positive rating, by seven critics, on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Neil Genzlinger
Neil Genzlinger
Neil Genzlinger is an American playwright, editor, book reviewer, and theatre and television critic. He frequently writes for The New York Times, where he is a copy editor....
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said, "It might seem as if Bollywood couldn't possibly satirize itself — the genre is already so over-the-top — but Zoya Akhtar manages the trick deftly in Luck by Chance. [...] A fabulous circus-theme musical number pulls out all the stops, but a scene in which an acting teacher explains why Hindi stars have to be more talented than those in Hollywood is a subtle comic gem". [...] [I]t is Mr. Akhtar whose understated performance holds together this far-ranging, cameo-filled film. He manages to remain sympathetic even while wreaking romantic havoc". Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece is an American journalist, author, comedy performer and comic book writer. He was additionally one of the first professional Web journalists, becoming an editor of a Silicon Alley start-up in 1996....
of Film Journal International
Film Journal International
Film Journal International is a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It is a sister publication of Adweek, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and other periodicals....
characterized it as, 'The Player
The Player
The Player is a 1992 American satirical film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Michael Tolkin based on his own 1988 novel of the same name....
meets All About Eve
All About Eve
All About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr.The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star...
in this seriocomic satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
of the Bollywood film industry by a first-time director whose collaring of over a dozen major Hindi stars for cameos speaks well of its biting accuracy", while Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith is an American critic, novelist and essayist. He is a staff film critic for the New York Post. His film reviewing style has been called "an exercise in hilarious hostility" by Entertainment Weekly....
of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
found it "gently humorous" and "almost totally lacking in the cynicism, self-hatred and ennui that characterizes inside-Hollywood flicks".
Box office performance
The movie had a slow start at the box office and registered 25% to 30% attendance at the plexes. According to trade analyst and critic Joginder Tuteja, the occupancy at the theatres came down to 50 percent. Outside India also, the movie failed to perform per expectations.In the US, the movie debuted at number 32. In its opening weekend, the film collected $217,439 (approx. Rs. 1.06 crores) on 61 screens, a per-screen average of $3,556. In the UK, Luck By Chance debuted at number 21 and collected £73,822 (approx. Rs. 50.95 lacs) on 50 screens, with a per-screen average of £1,476. The movie did poorly in Australia but was a big flop in India, grossing $3,914,500 at the Indian box office. Worldwide, the film grossed $4,504,365.