I nearly despise Bollywood. I usually hate song and dance sequences (don’t even get me started on item numbers!!) unless they fit the context of the story (which they rarely do). I dislike most of the comedy thrown out by the industry because it’s pointless and meant for an audience of brainless apes. The drama is almost always overdone and nearly all the big stars are uptight, self-obsessed sell outs.
Zoya Akhtar has, in a very profound way, renewed my faith in Bolywood.
‘Luck By Chance’ is a gem of cinema and head and shoulders above most of the other Hindi movies out in recent times. First, the acting. It’s subtle and dignified, from each individual actor. Arjun Mathur, who plays the role of a friend to Farhan Akhtar’s character, is especially brilliant. Hrithik Roshan proves that he is in the industry for a reason, because he can act, AND HOW! The cameos and special appearances in the movie (almost all of them) are complementary to the story and the movie. Farhan Akhtar is understated, which works excellently. Konkana Sen Sharma, however, for me, is the best, though still subtle enough so as to not overshadow the others.
The two major songs (baawre and pyaar ki daastaan) I don’t hate because they’re sung in order to represent typical bollywood. Also, they’re really nice songs that I like. But, ‘Sapno se bhare naina’ is my personal favourite, sung in Shankar Mahadevan’s deep voice, with beautiful music and is extremely well suited to the context of the story. The other songs too, are good in my books primarily because of Shankar–Ehsaan-Loy involvement, who I believe are one of the two music directors in Bollywood I have genuine respect and admiration for (the other being A.R. Rahman).
But, what really binds the movie together and makes it what it is, are the direction and the screenplay. The credit for both goes to Zoya Akhtar. The story is engaging and entertaining. The comedy is just right, it’s actually funny. But, it is the depth in the drama that keeps me thinking of the movie long after it’s over. As for the direction, the camera lingers on the actors’ faces (this is where Konkana, Hrithik and Arjun come in) not too long (so the movie is light hearted) but just long enough to soak in the moment. Some of the powerful, hard-hitting dialogues are seemingly said in the passing and yet manage to echo in your head over and over. The end especially works for me because it’s realistic and at the same time just what you need. Everything is fine and yet the end is bittersweet.
In a manner rarely found in recent hindi films, the movie could be a light hearted comedy about Bollywood and all that goes with it, or it could be a deep thought provoking masterpiece that is skillfully put together to hit just the right notes in emotion. Either way, I’m sure everyone will enjoy it.
