Luck By Chance: A Star(dust) is Born

Inspired by love letters to Hindi cinema like Om Shanti Om and Guddi, Luck By Chance is a sombre but glittering account of what goes about in the industry―behind the screen. And who better to helm a struggler story than (and oxymoronically) Zoya Akhtar: Javed Akhtar's daughter and Farhan Akhtar's assistant sister. All shades of nepotism aside, the film can be viewed as Zoya's guidebook of the film industry to and from her brother, father and stepmother (all of whom appear in the film).

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but Bollywood does not completely buy into this moniker. It's a nepotistic, capitalistic warzone where each whisper is worth a tabloid fortune. Speaking of tabloid and in turn, Page 3, Konkona Sen Sharma puts up a most effortless and convincing performance as Sona, albeit the headstrong, independent woman role has become a typecast for her, really.

And our hero? The struggler who gets lucky by chance, Vikram Jaisingh (big brother Farhan Akhtar), a confused mess of wanting to make it big. Big money, big plans, big dreams and as hubris would have it, big ego (read Abhimaan). And that makes the dude and his damsel tread over troubled waters towards the end.

The A Star is Born-like story of a tumultuous romance blossoming between two strugglers like Vikram and Sona in Luck By Chance is not new, and with Aashiqui 2, has become another trope, another cliché for Bollywood. But as director Anurag "Filmschool" Kashyap in a surprise cameo, states: "if we do it with dedication, it's bound to be a hit!"

The film functions at three levels. Level one focusses on it being a meta film, Dil Ki Aag, directed by a Subhash Ghai doppelganger Romy Rolly (Rishi Kapoor), starring Vikram Jaisingh and Nikki Walia (Isha Sharvani, who is probably purposefully cast as eye candy). Nikki is the spoilt daughter of Neena Walia (Dimple Kapadia, who, as always manages to get her chic on) and is a poster girl for contemporary 'struggling' starkids.

Level two focusses on its commentary on the ins and outs of Bollywood. From strugglers to stars, to spots, to costume designers, we see them all in the film, mostly in the opening song "Ye Zindagi Bhi" (a typical Javed Akhtar-SEL collaboration, but not as stock sounding as "Pyar Ki Daastan").

Level three is what really makes the film what it is: luck by chance. How Vikram, himself a struggler, albeit a lucky one, gets sandwiched between two unlucky but hardworking strugglers Sona and Abhimanyu (Arjun Mathur, the cute guy Made in Heaven). While Sona is a runaway aspiring actress, Abhimanyu is a modest TV and theatre actor. Both miss their big break but are happy for their friend, who seems to have been enchanted by the power of cinema and stardom.

Among all the stars in the Filmfair which Luck By Chance is, it too requires a King Khan to save the day and guide the hero. No, not Zafar Khan, the Bollywood hunk played by Hrithik Roshan (in an hour long special appearance?!). It's our very own King Khan (Shahrukh Khan) who humbles Vikram to rekindle and cherish bonds with those who knew you when you were a nobody. Vikram heeds, but is he too late?

He's got only luck with him now, with most chances blown away in the heat of instant stardom, a faux-pas with the dream girl and a controversial oped. What would Vikram do?

Originally logged on Letterboxd.