If one closely studies the cast and crew credit details of LUCK BY CHANCE, a familiar name comes up right at the beginning of the end credit title roll – Reema Kagti. Rings a bell? Well, she is the same woman who saw the release of her directorial venture HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT. LTD. 2 years back and is currently working on her next film.
So how is she associated with LUCK BY CHANCE? Well, she is the Second Unit Director for the film which means that she was responsible for canning a few scenes/shots for the film in absence of Zoya Akhtar. A role, which is similar to that played by Loveleen Tandon who was the Second Unit Director for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and shot quite a few scenes in Mumbai when Danny Boyle was busy shooting elsewhere.
Laughs Reema who has been associated for quite a while now with Excel Entertainment, the production house of Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, “Zoya (Akhtar) and I have a mutual pact to help each other out in all of her films. It is not the first time though that I have stepped into a film which is directed by someone else. I have played different roles in other films as well. Even Zoya had helped in production as well as assisting me in direction for HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT. LTD.”
Though both Reema and Zoya are now one film old, the two don’t have any qualms whatsoever of working for each other. Adds Zoya, “We are friends and when one is busy taking the responsibility of an entire film, the other chips in.”
“It’s the way of showing our solidarity and friendship for each other”, says Reema who has earlier also assisted other film makers for projects like VANITY FAIR (Mira Nair), LAKSHYA, DIL CHAHTA HAI (Farhan Akhtar) and LAGAAN (Ashutosh Gowariker).
So what were the scenes that were shot by her in LUCK BY CHANCE. Replies Reema, “Everything was planned to perfection by Zoya and I merely stepped in for execution, where required. I worked on some exterior shots for the film. Also, I contributed to the filming of the opening credit sequence that involved shooting the people who form a part of the film’s crew. I also did parts of the auditioning sequence where all the men were lined up to deliver their dialogues in front of a blue screen. So you know, stuff like that!”
Which brings one to the ever-so-pertinent question – when is she beginning her next venture? “Well, I am in the process of casting for my next which is a murder mystery. There haven’t been announcements yet because we want to do that only after everything is locked. What is sure though is that the film would be made under the banner of Excel Entertainment and would again have Zoya in some capacity or the other”, smiles Reema.
Meanwhile she is pleased that Zoya has fetched immense appreciation in her debut venture LUCK BY CHANCE. “She has earned it. Everyone is unanimous in saying that this hardly looks like the first ever outing of Zoya. I am happy for her.”
By Joginder Tuteja
