How sad is this?

A lot of fun.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

When I first heard about Luck by Chance in the making, I already had a positive expectation of the film due to the names associated with them. Farhan Akhtar seems to be knowing very well what he is doing nowadays, and it would be interesting to see how Zoya, his younger sister fares as a director.To begin with, I did not find the storyline much novel from the many films about the movie industry and stardom which I have seen before. Instead, it was a totally predictable film- almost nothing caught be by much surprise, except the final reels of the film, which culminated to a highly sensible ending. I was expecting a run-of-the-mill happy ending but the way Zoya wrote the climax has to be applauded immensely as it made the whole experience of watching this film something to cherish.The first and final scene of this film reveals that this film is all about the development of one character- Konkona Sen Sharma's Sona Mishra. The film starts with her journey to filmdom, the wandering wannabe actor who entered her life, charmed her, and thanks to her hand, managed to make his success, and later strayed away with the usual addictions stardom provides. But amidst all this, there is Sona, finding a reason for optimism all the time, and how she finally finds happiness by just doing what she loves to do everyday and not concerning herself with the desperate chase for stardom.Farhan and Konkona were both splendid to say the least, and Farhan should be applauded for taking up a grey role and not a typical hunk role and playing it to perfection. His is a flawed, human character in every way possible. Konkona meanwhile is someone that had always proved her acting credentials right, and she could proudly tally in Luck by Chance into her list of wonderful performances.Among others, Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia simply own their roles, while Isha Sharvani does an adequate job. However, the only flaw in terms of characterization seems to be Juhi Chawla's Minty- a character which does not have any kind of substance. Or it could be that her character is a metaphorical parody, but that parody definitely missed me by.Javed Akhtar's dialogues are a great backbone to the film, but certainly Zoya pulls off a more than convincing directorial debut with LBC. Though she could obviously improve few more aspects of her film-making, she did a commendable job for a newcomer, and just like her brother, had the conviction to leave stereotypes and do a different film as her very first (Farhan did Dil Chahta Hai).All in all, LBC is a mellow, meaningful drama about stardom, success, failures, and doing what you love to do. A good film laced with an important message which is not preached but instead slowly treated to the audience- definitely worth one (or two) views at least.

It makes me feel so happy to see a product like Luck By Chance coming out of India. A land full of commercial cinema! I enjoyed Luck By chance to the fullest. Zoya Akthar made a brilliant debut as a director, I could not find any flaws. Farhan Akthar is one damn good actor, he expresses so good with his face. It might be because he is a brilliant director himself and knows how to deliver performances.The cast of the whole movie was very convincing, Rishi Kapoor as Rolly was hilarious but very impactful, Konkona delivers a fine performance yet again, she is one of the best actresses in the country. All the cameos made sense and wasn't commercial just like Om Shanti Om for instance. The music was used very well, no unnecessary playbacking portions, no misplacement of the songs. Sapno se bhare naina was very beautiful, Pyaar ki dastaan is shot very well aswel. Zoya Akhtar is one director to look out for, she left me speechless. SRK's cameo is very effective, his last dialogue is very effective.Awesome with a capitcal "A"!Well done Zoya, Farhan, Konkona!

Zoya Akhtar's 2009 flick 'Luck By Chance' is a fantastic watch. A film that shows Bollywood like no other film has done yet. A film that entertains you from start to end. Zoya makes a film of a lifetime. I still wonder how did this film bomb at the box office!Performances: Rishi Kapoor is a veteran actor, his performance here is outstanding as the Punjabi Producer who does everything what his Astrologer says. Dimple Kapadia is superb, as ever. Juhi Chawla's cameo is good. Sanjay Kapoor is fantastic as the failed actor-turned-director. Farhan Akhtar doesn't look like a hero, I wonder how he gets films which he doesn't deserve at all. Konkona Sen Sharma is natural. Hritihik looks disinterested in a extended cameo. Ali Khan is good. Many actors make cameos in the film, but only Shahrukh and surprisingly Anurag Kashyap's leave an impact.Luck By Chance deserves a watch.

When a successor hones the talents and legacy of the master, it reflects on the creativity of the apprentice. Zoya Akhtar follows the legendary footsteps of her father and gives us a story so familiar, yet so unique and credible. Her directional debut with 'Luck By Chance' proves to be a writer and director's accomplishment that is complemented by exemplary performances even though they may include numerous cameos. Farhan and Konkana embrace the characters of 2 struggling artists in the Hindi film industry with ease and subtlety. The film is about Vikram Jaisingh, a sincere young Delhiite whose dream is to make it to the big screen in Bollywood and a struggling 'extra', Sona Sharma who plays brief and meaningless roles in 'B' grade films while making compromises to even make it this far. This story is also about Zaffar Khan (Hrithik Roshan) who is tired of playing the filmy hero for the same producer, Romy Rolly (Rishi Kapoor) over and over. He simply wants a break with Karan Johar's upcoming movie. Khan's apparent unwillingness to work with Rolly finally gives him the chance in Johar's film while our struggler gets lucky by chance as the replacement. So begins the spoof on bollywood film making and the hypocrisy of the stars and starlets. While Vikram has just found his companion in Sona, the outdoor shoot for Rolly's film brings him casually closer to Niki Walia (Isha Sherwani), the gorgeous daughter of the erstwhile glamour queen Neena Walia (Dimple). Relationships fail, strain and ignite in this film that apart from all stories that lie entangled is about realizing one's dreams in an adverse reality. Then, when dreams turn into reality, one realizes that fame and success are a "dangerous intoxication", rightly advised by ShahRukh Khan. Luck By Chance is about the Hindi film industry and what makes it 'Bollywood' as we know it. The eccentric individuals, the stereotypical characters posing as experienced producers, veteran actors, unyielding directors, junior artists, hypocritical stars and the real gems in the industry. One has to get dirty to play in the mud and thus it brings success to some. While the chase to destiny tends to derail the dream train of even the earnest, it embraces those who endlessly strive toward it with a bit of Luck.Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is pleasant and soulful with Javed Akhtar's lyrics. The film opens with a glimpse into the industry with the meaningful and enriching Yeh Zindagi bhi and ends with the soulful O Raahi Re while Sapno se bhare naina portrays the turmoil within a dreamer. Sadly, Hrithik's item song Bawre fails to leave a lasting impression. Konkana Sen performs at her brilliant best with realism being at the crux of her versatility. Isha Sherwani plays the spoilt heroine convincingly while her on-screen mother Dimple Kapadia looks gorgeous as ever and gives her best after Dil Chahta Hai. Juhi Chawla is lovable as ever while Sanjay Kapoor surprises us with a good performance. Rishi Kapoor enacts the stereotypical Sindhi producer to perfection with his wit and zest while Hrithik underplays his real persona to play Zaffar Khan, an actor in a career ambivalence of sorts. Farhan proves yet again that he can be an actor almost as good as he is a director. Almost…...there are parts where he is totally unconvincing, especially when he is romancing Isha in the lush green outdoors of the Konkan region. But his emotions are subtle in effect and dialogue delivery stronger than that in his own show on T.V. The rest of the supporting cast plays their parts aptly to the script's demand while the cameos by the stars are for the first time, justified in purpose. Even though ShahRukh Khan or Karan Johar might have just a few lines to say, the impact lasts long enough. But the film's biggest hero is Javed Akhtar. His exemplary writing, part in story and in dialogue is what makes the film remarkable. Zoya's direction could not have done much without such a strong story and script even though it may not show the audience something they haven't seen before. In the end, Luck By Chance wins hearts through its subtle story telling. Even though it may be a mocking tale of 'Bollywood', it never gets loud or exaggerated. While remaining very real, the story never turns into a Madhur Bhandarkar style 'hard hitting' real. Instead, the subtle rendering of the film world's reality and an achiever's journey through it leaves a lasting impact which will appease in the same manner even over a second watch. Luck By Chance shows typical Bollywood fare in an atypical manner and brings to the spotlight, Zoya Akhtar.8.64 on a scale of 1-10.