THR India's 25 in 25: How 'Luck by Chance' Became the Definitive Movie About the Movies

When Luck by Chance hit theatres in early 2009, the industry didn’t know quite what to make of it. Zoya Akhtar’s debut film wasn’t the usual rags-to-riches tale that Bollywood loves to tell about itself. It was about the space between dreams and disillusionment — about what happens when ambition meets hierarchy in an industry built on the idea of glamour.

Essentially a movie about the movies, it was as maximalist as meta-fiction could get. Unlike Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, which was released two years earlier, it wasn’t idealistic or fantastical. Instead, Luck by Chance was a layered portrayal of the Hindi film industry. And the fact that they brought in everyone, from actor Shah Rukh Khan to designer Manish Malhotra to play themselves, well, that was just a bonus. 

The story follows two dreamers trying to find a foothold in a system built on privilege. Sona Mishra (Konkona Sen Sharma), an actor from Kanpur, is familiar with rejection, manipulation, and the unspoken rules of survival. Her meeting with a producer who promises her work “if she stays close” is as telling as it is routine — a moment that captures the casual normalisation of the “casting-couch” exploitation. Then there’s Vikram Jaisingh (Farhan Akhtar), a Delhi boy who arrives with a diploma in acting, big dreams and a clear strategy. He’s talented and charming, but also realistic enough to play the game.

Then comes the “nepo-baby” Nikki Walia (Isha Sharvani), daughter of a veteran actress (Dimple Kapadia), who gets her debut film without breaking a sweat, while Zafar Khan (Hrithik Roshan), a reigning superstar, debates walking out of his project for something “bigger.” The casting itself is an inside joke — star kids playing outsiders and outsiders playing insiders. Akhtar uses these ironies not as gimmicks but as commentary, pointing out the absurd hierarchies that govern Bollywood’s show business.

The song, “Sapno Se Bhare Naina” underscores one of the film’s most evocative scenes, playing in the background when Vikram attends an audition filled with hundreds of hopefuls. Written by Javed Akhtar, it captures the reality of the city of dreams. It’s in this sequence that Zoya perfectly captures the passion, dissolution, and hunger that defines the Bollywood dream.

Luck by Chance may not have worked commercially, but its impact has aged beautifully. It predicted the conversations the industry would have a decade later — about nepotism, gatekeeping, and the illusion of merit — long before social media made it fashionable to do so.

Zoya Akhtar on Making Luck by Chance

“I had waited a long time to make my first film,” Akhtar says. “Directing is a strange beast — you don’t really know if you can do it until you’re there, taking that first shot. I remember shooting a mid-shot of Dimple [Kapadia], and I knew — this is where I belong.”

Looking back, Akhtar admits that the movie was an ambitious debut. “It was a wide canvas to tackle for a first film. But I took it one scene and one day at a time. I had an incredible cast and crew, and that made all the difference. People were kind — they came in for cameos. I’d been an assistant director for years, so I’d worked with many of them before. I’ll never forget their kindness."

The release, she says, changed her perspective as much as the process. “After your first film, you become a different person. You carry a story for so long, and then it meets the audience and takes on a [life of its own. What changed wasn’t my style, but my approach — of the commercial side of the box office. Whether that’s good or bad, I’ll know at the end of my journey.”

Akhtar also reveals that Luck by Chance was the first full script she ever finished. “They say your first film is about what you know best — and for me, that was the film industry. I grew up around it. It has been my playground and came naturally to me. The film was about two outsiders who come in to make their big screen dreams come true, and about how belief and self-esteem shape destiny. I’d seen that happen around me — people who decided they would make it, often did.”

She smiles at how relevant the film feels today. “It’s funny — I wrote this 25 years ago, and it took seven years to make. The things we addressed back then — the ways of the industry, how it functions, insiders versus outsiders, struggling producers — are all [being debated] in the press now. I suppose that means it stands the test of time. The industry can be tough, but everyone’s just doing their work, trying to make a living. Nobody’s really out to get you.”