Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye tells the story of a loveable conman Lucky Singh (Abhay Deol). Such is his charm that even the Delhi police are extremely fond of him. The film is a journey of Lucky from a middle class boy to becoming a small time crook to notoriety and faux celebrity and the people he encounters in this journey. But the film is also much more than that as it multilayered with class envy and conflict, family dynamics, lower middle class aspirations, thwarted ambitions and the nature of celebrity.
Starring: Abhay Deol, Neetu Chandra, Paresh Rawal.
Director: Dibaker Bannerjee
Rating: 3/5
OLLO may be no match on Dibakar Bannerjee’s debut flick, the very loveable Khosla Ka Ghosla but it is entertaining in parts. The writing deserves special mention. The wafer think plot does appear stretched at times but what holds it together is the acting by every single actor and the witty one-liners. The film is good fun with many subtle messages so cleverly built into the writing that you never ever get the feeling that somebody is pushing an intellectual agenda. The opening sequence is clearly paisa vasool and should not be missed.
However, the biggest flaw of the film remains its length. A story that could have well been narrated in 90 minutes appears a bit stretched to just over two hours. Also, after a point you find you do get agitated because all you see Lucky doing is stealing and giving the police a slip over and over again.
The film however becomes a must watch for Abhay Deol and Paresh Rawal’s performances. Abhay displays his ability of carrying the film solely on his shoulders. This one can be definitely counted as his best performances till date. Paresh Rawal in a triple role (Lucky’s father, Goga Bhai and Dr. Handa) is simply superb. Neetu Chandra pleasantly surprises and looks different from her earlier films. Archana Puran Singh has her moments while Manu Rishi playing Lucky’s loyal side kick, ‘Bangali’ is outstanding.
Kartik’s camerawork is good and captures Delhi well not focusing on the typical overused visuals of India gate. It takes us right into the heart of the capital city. Dibakar uses music well in the background.
OLLO is a fun ride deserving a visit if you love subtle humour.
