Luck Movie Review: Out of Luck!

Trust Soham Shah to push his luck with the audience with his film "Luck".

The story revolves around Moosa Bhai, who is super lucky himself and is the Lord when it comes to gambling and how he exploits people? rather lucky people in need of money to play the "Luck" game a la survivor series either with or without their consent? tch tch?. It is commendable how Moosa's network functions and eyes every detail of the so called lucky people, not only hailing from India but throughout the world. The movie almost seems like a reality show on 70mm. Come on Soham, we are already getting an overdose of reality shows on Indian telly, aren't we?

Moosa Bhai and his right hand Tamang hand pick a few lucky people Ram, Major Jawar Singh, Ayesha, Raghav, and Short Cut to take them to South Africa and play the game of "Life or Death". The way in which each one of them is brought into this dubious place reminds you of "Fast and Furious"<2009>. The concept is new undoubtedly and very western as well, but if a few things would have been avoided around the climax, it could have made the movie digestible. Sanjay Dutt is at his suave best as Moosa Bhai, and we fail to understand from where he gets the oomph and sex appeal at such an age. Imran looks cute but there is a serious lack of intensity on his face, his expressions are repetitive and he looks out of place in an action role of this kind. Shruti has a standard look on her pretty face, looks hot, but her Hindi dialogue delivery could give Katrina Kaif a run for her money. Danny comes as a welcome surprise, though in a small role. One wonders what keeps him away from Bollywood? Mithun does a good job with his "Koi Shaque" back after ages in this movie. Chitrashi is brilliant once again with her cute lisp and carefree attitude. Lastly would someone ask Ravi Kishen to stop aping Salman Khan in his Bhojpuri ishtyle? Serial killer cum psychotic, Ravi's acting is a bit over the board.

Soham lacks in more than one quarter with "Luck", and the much publicized "shark tank" act looks faker than even the most outdated part of "Jaws", the scene sadly looks totally animated at the local graphic studio. If that was not enough, the sky diving shot fails to impress too. However, the climax takes the cake, people running and fighting on top of a speeding train infested with landmines! Imran almost seems immortal when Ravi Kishen fires continuously at point blank range on him, making you wonder, hey, are you pushing your luck here or what? Well, it is not that the film is a total fake, it has its own gripping moments like the lighter scene with Imran and Danny, and moves at a good pace, however, it loses its charm with some superficial acts towards the end.

If all that fake action was not enough it almost makes you laugh your guts off when, just when the audience is trying to digest the concept of betting with human life for millions of bucks, the director pushes the concept a wee bit too much to show how lucky someone can be? and that is the last straw! Imran survives a gun shot on the left side of his chest, and it so turns out to be that he has his heart on the right side. Man, this should be called the height of being lucky! If such fake series of so called chance survivals or being lucky would have been omitted, it would become easier for people to digest the movie. The background score is good, locales perfect and editing in place, but the loops in the plot itself prove unlucky for "Luck". The best part about the movie is a high dose of filmy dialogues and some cheesy one liners like " Mujhe Paise Chahiye" to which the reply is " Mujhe tujh jaise Chahiye". All in all, you can watch it if you do not want to reason with who is doing what in the movie and say "OMG is that possible"?

Basically, this film is something to watch if you have nothing better to see on a rainy Sunday afternoon, which I am sure all of us have at home on the idiot box.

Better "Luck" next time.