By Taran Adarsh, April 8, 2005 - 18:00 IST

You tend to expect the moon when a keenly-anticipated film hits the marquee. And if the film is produced by an actor's production outfit, with the leading music company as partners, the expectations are enormous, gargantuan, gigantic.

LUCKY, directed by debutante Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, is amongst those films that is expected to bail the film industry out of its crisis. With millions invested in the enterprise, a lot is at stake for sure.

LUCKY has its share of plusses and minuses…

You do encounter roadblocks as you embark on the journey called LUCKY, but despite the obstacles [in the first half specifically], the final outcome is fulfilling enough.

Mercifully, LUCKY works primarily because of four factors -

Breath-taking locales of Russia. The film makes a tremendous visual impact.

Adnan Sami's music. The mellifluous tunes linger in your thoughts even after the show has concluded.

Fresh pairing. The on-screen chemistry between Salman Khan and Sneha Ullal is endearing.

Vibrant action [Mahendra Verma, Sergei, Oleg]. You really don't mind the gun-shots and blasts, for a change!
Most importantly, LUCKY heralds the arrival of two talented names - Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru. Yes, the duo falter in the writing department [the screenplay could've been taut and the dialogues classier], but the impact they create in the post-interval portions deserves praise.

Set against the romantic and majestic backdrop of St. Petersburg, LUCKY is a tale of love that brings together two people who probably wouldn't have met if not destined.