Luck by Chance: A Cinematic Reflection on Nepotism and Struggle in Bollywood

Episode 15: Luck By ChanceRelease Date: 2009 This is the first episode of our dual episodic series where we explore films based on Bollywood. Luck By Chance is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Zoya Akhtar. It is her directorial debut. She also co-wrote the movie with her father, Javed Akhtar. The film stars her brother, Farhan Akhtar, in the lead role along with Konkana Sen Sharma. When it was released, Luck By Chance flopped at the box office and received mixed critical reviews. Over the years, however, the movie has become a cult film, extremely popular with hardcore Bollywood fans. Zoya and Ayan Mukherjee (Wake Up Sid) won the debutant director award. The movie is the most meta movie one can get in Bollywood—it blends humour, satire, and parody on the workings of the Bollywood industry. It has a plethora of cameos from the who’s who of Bollywood, including 17 A-listers, with Hrithik Roshan having an extended cameo. Plot Summary: The film’s plot revolves around the struggle of 2 outsiders trying to enter Bollywood as hero/heroine. Farhan Akhtar plays Vikram, who comes from Delhi to try his luck in Bollywood, and Konkana Sen Sharma plays Sona, a young girl who has escaped her small town life and marriage to try her luck as an actress in Bollywood. Rishi Kapoor plays the producer Romi Rolly, Juhi Chawla plays his wife, Dimple Kapadia plays the yesteryear actress Neena Walia, trying to get her daughter Nikki played by Isha Shravani her debut film with the hugely popular Zafar Khan by Hrithik Roshan.  As Vikram and Sona try to find their way in Bollywood, the audience goes along with their journey and learns about the inner workings of Bollywood. Where to watch: Prime VideoFavourite Scenes/Iconic Dialogues: Best opening credits in a Bollywood movie.Romi Rolly / Anurag Kashyap Scene - Oye Institute - Mein film festival ke liye nahi bana raha hoonAll the cameos - Akshaye Khanna nails itOutTakes:Irony of the Casting: The film is about struggling outsiders trying to get an entry into mainstream Bollywood. It's a movie made by nepotism kids starring nepotism kids—Zoya, Farhan, and Konkana.Soundtrack: One of the best soundtracks by SELBollywood Nostalgia: This film has so much Bollywood nostalgia - every frame has movie posters and meta references.Trivia: All the trivia from this film is here.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-paradeLicense code: MIE1N7HAVI6KJOSGContact Us:Email: [email protected] Twitter: @_talkingtalkiesInstagram @_talkingtalkiesBenny (@RealBennyMan) / TwitterMi (@Mi_Rambles) / TwitterLeave us a review or rating on the podcast app.