Movie Review: Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!

Few films come with just two words repeated, and like 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', 'Oye Lucky Lucky Oye' sounds funny and entertaining. The film stars Abhay Deol, Paresh Rawal and Neetu Chandra in the leading roles and is directed by the talented Dibakar Banerjee.

In case you didn't already know, Dibakar Banerjee earlier directed the fantastic 'Khosla ka Ghosla', and this is just his sophomore effort. The movie has been inspired by the antics of a 'Superchor Bunty' who led a similar life; when arrested, the police found a strange booty including 200 shirts.

'Oye Lucky Lukcy Oye' is about the the ultimate Super Theif (Abhay Deol) who transforms into stealing anything and everything, from car, TV, music system, crockery, artefacts, furniture, even dry fruits, also a pomeranian... everything but the kitchen sink.

And that's the only trouble with this movie, although enjoyable, there seems a euphemistic kitchen sink missing. The film stars off very well as Abhay's motive to steal is presented. He goes through the regular teenage adolescence, and first dibs. He believes everyone has the right to a luxurious living and makes his first robbery too.

The film traces Lucky's trapeze into the life of crime from his teenage days, when he viewed the high life of the quintessential South Delhiite, from behind frosty glass panes. His father beats the buttons out of him and denies him anything that he asks for. When Lucky asks for a scooter and father denies, he makes off with a motorbike and his girlfriend. Before you know it, Lucky is one of the biggest crime lords of the city, with his henchman Goga (Paresh Rawal again). He amasses enough money to buy a toaster for his girlfriend's mom, to refurnish his house and to start a restaurant with a vet-turned-conman (Rawal again).

There are loads of rib tickling laughs and crazy lines in 'Oye Lucky Oye'. The heists are fun to watch and the class divide in Delhi has been portrayed well. Abhay Deol is great as the gentlemanly conman, he has come a long way from the uneven 'Socha na tha'. Paresh Rawal is brilliant in his triple role, full marks to him. Archana Puran Singh as the scheming unmentionable is excellent.

But the kitchen sink in the film turns out to be the predictability. Unlike 'Khosla ka Ghosla', or the recent 'Dostana', there is almost zero shock value in this film. Without any twists and turns in the story, the screenplay relies heavily on the actors to make up for its weak base. The music is a big let down too. That's not to say 'Oye Lucky Oye' is boring, though predictable, it definitely is entertaining. Although its hard choosing between this film and 'Sorry Bhai', 'Oye Lucky' will perform better because of ts universal appeal.