The action thriller Luck, directed by Soham Shah (Kaal), has an all-star cast including Imran Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Ravi Kishan, Chitrashi Rawat, Rati Agnihotri, as well as newcomer Shruti Hassan. For Luck, he really wanted to make a summer blockbuster action film with the stunts being bigger and better than anyone has seen before. I got the opportunity to speak with the director on the phone while he was running around Mumbai trying to get things done before the opening of the film on the 24th. So, have a look at his answers about the film, the cast, and, of course, what we can expect from those action scenes!
Tell us about the story of Luck.
Luck is entirely an action thriller. It revolves around these particular characters, and they all have different kinds of luck. They all become a part of this entire human betting and gambling scenario. It is all about how people bet money on them and on how only their luck helps them survive. That is what defines the kinds of action. Do they, will they survive? That is the entire premise of Luck.
You wrote the story for Luck. What sparked the idea for the story?
I was reading this particular article in the newspaper that in New York this gentleman was working on a construction site and fell off the 47th floor. One year later, I read in an interview that he was absolutely alive and kicking. He’s recovered, and his life is like a normal person! The last thing he said was that he really puts it all on his good luck that he survived. This particular incident really took my notice, and that was the birth of Luck!
What was the casting process like?
I always wanted the boy to not be played by a very huge megastar name, who would not be able to fit into Imran’s role, because it is very unpredictable what happens with him, whether good luck strikes him or whether bad luck strikes him. I wanted someone really new, who you could not predict as a character. So that is why I wanted Imran in this particular role. Followed by Sanjay Dutt, this particular role was always written for Sanjay Dutt. His character name is Musa, and I always wanted Sanjay Dutt to play this particular part.
What can you tell us about Imran as an actor? How is he to work with?
I think Imran is like a boon for a director. He is unbelievably focussed. He is not one of the filmi actors that we have in the industry. He is a very learned boy, he is very intelligent. He really is much more interested in the totality, that the entire filmmaking be good. He really helps a director to kind of push his limits. He is always there like a pillar for a director, like a friend.
How was it to direct senior actors like Sanjay Dutt, Danny Denzongpa and Mithun Chakraborty?
Mithun Chakraborty, Danny, and Sanjay Dutt are kind of old-time actors but they have a solid personality and they are brilliant actors. After doing more than two to three hundred movies, they have immense experience. They add a lot of value to your film. Even today they have huge fan followings all over India, and obviously Indians living abroad like them as well. It is really fresh casting and the roles were written for their particular age group. So, I think they add a lot of weightage to the film. They have been really brilliant to work with.
Then you have newcomer Shruti Hassan. What made you decide to offer her the role?
Since Imran himself is still very new, he is young like a teenage boy, I wanted someone to match his freshness so I wanted a newcomer. We were looking for some new girls, and in that process Imran suggested her, and said that he knew Shruti as a family friend, but he was not sure she would like to make her debut in such an unconventional movie because it is not a typical heroine’s role. So, he said, I am not sure, but maybe you can meet and see if you like her and want her to be part of the film.
How do you think she has done in her first film?
She is extremely superb. She is super confident. When you see her first film you will be shocked that she is a newcomer. She is very confident and she has done all her action by herself, she has done all her stunts on her own. So, yes she has done a great job!
Also there is Chitrashi Rawat. How was she to work with?
Chitrashi is playing a very tomboyish kind of a role. The character’s name is Shortcut so I wanted someone really, really short for that, but at the same time her attitude and her style and everything had to be like a grown-up person. She is perfect, she has done a great job as well. She is a superb actress.
Tell us about the action scenes in Luck. What can we expect?
Hopefully, let’s expect that they have not seen this kind of action before, because we have worked very hard on it and we have managed some really good quality stunts! It is quite big. The only thing I can say is what people have seen in the promos; they will get much more of that in the film.
I spoke to Imran a few days ago about the scene where he hangs off a plane and lands on a moving train, and the plane explodes and Imran has to fight bad guys and stop the train. How do you think of these types of scenes?
Well, actually I have been working on the script for a really long time and the entire action is really part of the screenplay. It is not the regular action that people are beating up each other or people are trying to kill each other. It is very much part of the screenplay where the entire action is based upon Luck. If a person has good luck he can survive this kind of action. That is the entire conceiving of this particular genre.
What was it like shooting in South Africa?
Oh, South Africa is a beautiful country. We had two schedules: for one we went in the peak of winter and one was during the peak of summer, so we got to see both the climates. It is an absolutely filmi shooting place and we have got some really exotic locations in the movie.
Your favorite scene in the film?
At the interval point in the movie, I have all my characters in one particular frame and they are interacting with each other. I think that is my favorite part of the film.
You have had test screenings for the film – how has the response been?
As of now things are looking really positive. People are really liking the concept of the movie and it has all been positive, so hopefully Luck is on our side!
With that Soham had to rush off! I would like to thank him for taking the time to speak with me and wish him the best of, well, luck for Luck – and for his future projects! We hope Luck is on their side and the film lives up to its blockbuster hopes at the box-office! We know we will be in line to see it!
