How Dibakar Banerjee’s Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! became an introduction to Delhi’s dark underbelly

Despite the glaring differences between Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani and Dibakar Banerjee’s Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), the characters of Dhan Lakshmi and Lucky share intriguing parallels. Both hail from West Delhi, both harbour fervent desires for wealth, and both exhibit a penchant for flamboyant and materialistic aspects of life. However, while Dhan Lakshmi used the family’s sweet shop to elevate her social status, Lucky (Abhay Deol) transformed into a superchor to fulfill his aspirations.

Oye Lucky! introduced audiences to the unvarnished, unapologetic aspirations of Delhi’s middle class. A poignant early scene in the film depicts a young Lucky (Manjot Singh) gawking at fellow teenagers cruising around the city in an imported car, while he and his friends drool over their wealth and carefree lifestyle.

The film adeptly portrays stark class differences and an unabashed love for money and possessions within Delhi’s societal strata. Instances like Lucky being denied entry to a club due to his attire or subtle insult by a waiter insinuating Lucky’s poverty in front of his date underscore these themes. Moreover, Lucky’s mother-in-law, who goes from making parathas for her Canada-returned son-in-law to serving Lucky after hearing about his hi-fi restaurant and four-bedroom apartment speaks volumes about societal perceptions.

Manu Rishi and Abhay Deol in a scene from Oye Lucky Lucky Oye.

While Oye Lucky predominantly embraces comedy, it subtly exposes the dark underbelly of Delhi beneath all its humour. Tragic events, such as the demise of Lucky’s friend after getting entangled with criminals and the characters’ decisions to ignore it and protect themselves, bring out the everyday callousness with which people function. Additionally, benign characters like Dr BD Handa (Paresh Rawal) and Kamlesh Handa (Archana Puran Singh) take on haunting personas, illustrating how seemingly ordinary citizens can turn into deceitful and ruthless individuals when money is involved.

Delhi isn’t the singular city harbouring avaricious people, but its residents are unabashedly open about their ambitions, and that’s what makes them interesting, gritty characters for filmmakers to explore. Dibakar’s Oye Lucky! served as a prototype, introducing filmmakers to the captivating realm of Delhi’s middle class, specifically West Delhi, as a trove of unexplored stories. Characters like Queen’s Vijay Dhingra (Rajkummar Rao) or Fukrey’s Lali, Hunny, and Chhocha reflect elements of Lucky’s personality.

Rajkummar Rao played the role of Vijay in Queen.

However, a film that encapsulated the same mix of disdain and empathy toward Delhiites as Oye Lucky is Kanu Bahl’s Titli. While both films revolve around thieves, Titli, co-produced by Dibakar Banerjee, eschewed comedy to unveil the raw, brutal realities of Delhi’s working class. The bloodied faces of Ranvir Shorey and his brothers as they hammer their victims before robbing them show their vulnerability morphing into desperation and ultimately, violence.

Ranvir Shorey played the leader of car-jacking gang in Titli.

It’s almost astonishing to realise that Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is now 15 years old, mostly because its characters and the world they inhabit remain palpable in the cinematic landscape even today. The film suffered from unfortunate timing, hitting the screens just two days after the tragic 26/11 attacks. While it was overlooked during the time of its release, it deserves to be rewatched and celebrated for years to come.