# Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film starring Abhay Deol, Paresh Rawal, Neetu Chandra, Manu Rishi, Manjot Singh and Archana Puran Singh. It was directed by Dibakar Banerjee. The film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film. The film is inspired by the real life shenanigans of Devinder Singh alias Bunty, a real-life "super-chor", originally from Vikaspuri, Delhi.

## Plot

The film begins by depicting the media's obsession with 31-year-old Lucky, a skilled thief operating across various Indian cities. The narrative then shifts to Lucky's teenage years, highlighting a tumultuous family dynamic when his father, Jani (Paresh Rawal), introduces his second wife. This leads Lucky to begin stealing motorbikes with the help of his friend, Bengali, initially to impress girls. The film moves to later years where Lucky and Bengali are exploited by Gogi (also played by Rawal), a marriage contractor.
During this period, Lucky develops a romantic relationship with Sonal, the sister of a dancer once associated with Gogi. After suffering Gogi's mistreatment, Lucky travels to Mumbai, where he encounters Dr. Handa (another character portrayed by Rawal) and uses the name Sunny Arora. A police officer, Devender Singh, is simultaneously pressuring Gogi to provide information on Lucky in Delhi. Back in Delhi, Lucky reconnects with Bengali and plots to rob the home of reporter Babul Awasthi, who had labeled him a "normal thief." He consults Dr. Handa, unknowingly for advice to infiltrate the reporter's dog-protected residence. He succeeds, but Awasthi kills his dog out of frustration. Lucky flees with Sonal and Bengali, encounters his estranged brother and learns of his parents’ separation. This prompts him to leave his life of crime and settle down with Sonal.

## Cast

* Abhay Deol as Lovinder 'Lucky' Singh / Sunny Arora
* Paresh Rawal in a triple role as
** Jani Singh
** Gogi Arora
** Dr. B. D. Handa
* Neetu Chandra as Sonal
* Manu Rishi as Bangali
* Richa Chadha as Dolly
* Archana Puran Singh as Kamlesh Handa
* Anurag Arora as Inspector Devender Singh / Yuvraj
* Manjot Singh as the Young Lovinder ‘Lucky’ Singh
* Kamlesh Gill as Chaai Ji (Chadha's Mother)

## Soundtrack

All music is composed by Sneha Khanwalkar

## Reception
### Critical reception

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! received positive critical acclaim. Raja Sen of Rediff gave it 4.5/5 stars, saying that "All I can say is – after very gratefully handing it four and a half stars, in case you asked – that this is a movie to love. And one that makes the audience feel just like the hero: really, really lucky." Naresh K. Deoshi of Apun Ka Choice gave the movie 3.5/5 stars, concluding that "Grab a ticket. If you're broke, steal it." Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India gave the movie 3.5/5 stars, commenting that "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! works perfectly as a simple story of a young boy (Abhay Deol) who is driven to crime not because he is hungry, poor, starving." Syed Firdaus Ashraf of Rediff gave 3/5 stars, concluding that "The film only fails in the music department, by Sneha Khanwalkar. The dhols and drums get too loud from time to time, and get very annoying. If you can overlook this minor discomfort, go for it!" Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave 3/5 stars, stating that "Watch it because it's a film that respects your intelligence. And films like that are hard to find."
Sonia Chopra of Sify gave it 2.5/5 stars, saying that "Writer-director Dibakar Banerjee cannot live down the expectations Khosla Ka Ghosla brings with it. Banerjee does meet those expectations, however Oye Lucky! is a different product altogether. More than a beginning-middle-end story, Oye Lucky! is more a peek into Delhi's belly, into the characters' lives, and into complex bitter-sweet relationships." Martin D'Souza of Glamsham gave 2.5/5 stars, concluding that "A film with a feel of the eighties, OLLO will identify well with the viewers from the North. But yes, if you want a quiet, funny outing to lighten your mood, watching OLLO is not a bad option." Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the movie 2/5 stars, saying that "On the whole, OYE LUCKY! LUCKY OYE! is a well-executed enterprise, which has its share of limitations. At the box-office, the film caters to the Northern audience mainly – Delhi and Punjab specifically. Besides North, the plexes in Mumbai should fare slightly better."

### Box office

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! was an average grosser, with ₹61.4 million (US$720,000) nett in its lifetime, releasing two days after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

## Production

Originally, Paresh Rawal was only approached by Dibakar Banerjee to play the role of Gogi. He was then convinced by the director to also take on the role of Dr. Handa, and finally the role of Lucky's father. Despite his initial hesitation to sport a beard in the role of Lucky's father, Paresh Rawal called working on this film the most satisfying experience of his career.

## Awards

* 2009: National Film Award
** Best Popular Film
* 2009: Filmfare Award
** Critics Award for Best Actor: Manjot Singh
** Best Dialogue: Manu Rishi
** Best Costumes: Rushi Sharma / Manoshi Nath
* 2009: IIFA Award
** Best Dialogue: Manu Rishi
* 2009: Star Screen Award
** Best Story: Dibaker Banerjee: Nominated