Simply one of the best characterization and caricature of Delhi-ites on big screen. The only other contender comes to my mind is Khosla ka Ghosla by the same director - that tells me the director is very familiar with Delhi and its lingo, culture, Punjabi-Hariyani laced Hindi! If you have ever lived in Delhi, you can relate to all the characters. Period! And that in itself will make the movie a fun-watch.
Abhay Deol - I consider him the most capable of Deols. I am neither a big fan of the 'action hero' Sunny or Bobby (what's his genre btw?). But this Deol knows his strength and plays by that, and experiments with new characters each time. His acting makes up for all the muscles Sunny has or all lack of dancing skills of Sunny or lack of any skills of Bobby.
The young Lucky played by Manjot is an absolute delight. Paresh Rawal is adequate, somehow I feel a Boman Irani could have been a better fit. I missed Ranvir Shorey or a Deepak Dobriyal in the movie, these guys are so Delhi-ish that you can create a character for them in such a movie.
A word about music:... I think Dibakar Banerjee has a good ear for the Funjabi music. Like 'Chak de phatte' from KKG, this movie has few tracks, which are just fun Punjabi-Hiphop-Techno tracks! Sorry, I haven't checked the music credits yet, but the SuperChor is a cool gangsta-rap style track, while Jugni and Oye Lucky have nice raw Punjabi touch with some modern instrumentation. I would hate to call them Bhangraa, because they are a bit different. Although none of the songs are of 'Chak De Phatte' caliber, but are more than adequate.
Overall, a fun movie to watch - as long as you can follow the Delhi-sense-of-humor!
I still give it 8/10 because the script loses pace somewhat towards 3/4th of the movie. It should have been an out and out comedy like the way it started and ended.
Plot summary
Inspired by the incredible true story of Lucky Singh, an extremely charismatic and fearless confidence man and thief who socialized with the rich, famous and influential of Delhi society and then proceeded to rob them blind. He was the bête noire of the police and had stolen millions by the time he was caught. A modern day Robin Hood with a twist, he robbed both the rich and the poor without prejudice. Nothing was too big nor was anything too insignificant to escape his attention. The film opens with his trial and charts his rise from the projects of crime ridden suburban Delhi to the very heart of the corridors of power. Along the way he makes lifelong friends, falls in love an manages to outwit the entire law and order machinery.
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Movie Reviews
Relive your Delhi days!
This one probably plays better if you are an Indian...
This film covers the life of Lucky from being a cocky teenager to his coming to national attention when his huge cache of stolen items is seized by the police. In between, he tries very hard to romance a 'nice girl' and spends the rest of his time stealing--mostly, though not exclusively, luxury cars.
I live in the States and am not Indian. This is important because I think "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!" is a film that probably plays much better if you are Indian. As for me, I didn't see Lucky Singh as anything other than a fast-talking thief. I can only assume that Indians see him as a bit of an anti-hero because he mostly seems to steal from rich folks. So, for me, it was a film about a guy who was a crook and a cocky jerk. He'd steal and then flash his pretty eyes at the screen...but that wasn't enough for me. Overall, a very disappointing film because I simply disliked EVERYONE in the film...EVERYONE...and the plot never was particularly engaging. The music and opening titles, however, were nice.
Lucky to have this one!
Banerjee's 'Oye Lucky Lucky Oye' is easily one the best attempts from 2008. The film has a unique concept, does the concept work? Yes, hell yeah. The film is entertaining and intelligent. Very well written and very well directed, coupled with first-rate performances and classy camera-work.
Though the film flopped at the box office, yet it has earned a cult following ever-since its DVD release. Watch this one, because its the best flick you'll see in months at least. Superb film!
Performance Wise: Abhay Deol shines as Lucky. He plays the part with gusto. Paresh Rawal is fantastic in triple roles. He's excellent as the Punjabi, fantastic as the don and simply outstanding as the doctor. He's a legend and rightly so. Neetu Chandra is good. Archana Puran Singh is mind-blowing. She can never be doubted, she's an amazing actress. The actor who plays Abhay's friend is natural. The girl who plays Neetu's sister is adorable.
On the whole 'Oye Lucky Lucky Oye' is as catchy as its title. A Winner all the way! Go for it!