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Luck By Chance

Luck By Chance

Movie · 2009 · 10 people

The Bollywood drama Luck by Chance shows the Indian film industry from several angles, giving viewers a look behind the scenes. Made in Hindi, it is Zoya Akhtar's first feature as writer and director. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani produced it through Excel Entertainment. It opened on January 30, 2009. It did moderate business at the box office but drew widespread praise for its fresh concept, story, screenplay, dialogue and performances.

The story follows a young actor who arrives in Mumbai hoping to become a film star. As luck carries him upward, he struggles to keep his relationships intact. Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma lead. Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Kapoor, Isha Sharvani, Alyy Khan and Sheeba Chaddha play key supporting roles, and Hrithik Roshan has an extended cameo. Many industry names appear briefly as themselves, among them Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap.

At the 55th Filmfare Awards the film received five nominations, including Rishi Kapoor for supporting actor and Dimple Kapadia for supporting actress. Zoya Akhtar won Best Debut Director, sharing it with Ayan Mukerji for Wake Up Sid.

DirectorZoya Akhtar
Production companyExcel Entertainment

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Cast

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Aamir Khan Aamir Khan Actor · 61 years old Himself (Guest Actor) Farhan Akhtar Konkona Sen Sharma Alyy Khan Rishi Kapoor Dimple Kapadia Juhi Chawla Isha Sharvani Hrithik Roshan Sanjay Kapoor

Also in the cast: Sheeba Chaddha, Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap (Jai)

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Through different eyes

AI-assisted editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives. They are not reader reviews; those are below.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Zoya Akhtar's debut looks at Bollywood from the inside without taking the easy route of simply mocking the industry; instead it builds a picture of how fame gets manufactured from several points of view. That many-voiced structure is the film's real strength: the rising actor's story always sits alongside those of the producers, stars and people left behind around him. The stream of famous names playing themselves cuts both ways. For anyone who knows the industry it is a fun wink, but the more of them there are, the more they pull focus from the story. The film's length amplifies that sprawl; tighter editing could have given the relationship drama far more weight.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Through a young man who comes to Mumbai dreaming of stardom, the film examines how the economy of fame actually works. Luck, not talent, is the decisive force here, which is an honest and slightly uncomfortable observation about the industry. The newcomer who arrives in the big city full of hope and tries to prove himself is a familiar version of every migration and social-climbing story. It will not feel remote to Turkish viewers either, since the dream of becoming a star belongs to every film industry. The film's real question is what the climb costs in human relationships, and it never forgets to ask who gets left behind.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humor and heart.

This is mostly a film about the grown-up world: ambition, fame and relationships under strain. For young children it is likely to be both too long and too heavy. Teenagers and adults who enjoy Indian cinema, on the other hand, may have fun spotting the many famous faces who pop up briefly as themselves. If you watch it as a family, set aside a long evening; it suits teens and adults curious about the film world best.

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