Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! running out of luck!

UTV's Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! appears to be in trouble. Notorious thief Devender Singh aka Bunty (31) and nicknamed Super Chor Devender @ Bunty currently lodged in one of Delhi's jails is claiming that the story of Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is based on his life.

Says a source, "Bunty has sent a letter to UTV asking for compensation for basing Lucky's (Abhay Deol) character on his own life. If UTV doesn't pay up, he will stall the release of the film (November 28). While Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is about Lucky, a lower middle-class Sikh kid, rising to become one of the most wanted master thieves of India with tens of millions worth loot, a glamorous lifestyle, cars, women, and a fan following; in Bunty's case, the police said that he was an addict to burglaries and would do extensive research about a house before committing a burglary. Although he had amassed wealth worth crores of rupees and had never been short of money, he continued committing crimes and led a very lavish lifestyle. He also used to spend money on women."

Won't give in

A UTV spokesperson says, "Yes, we have received a letter from Bunty which is an enquiry to clear his doubts about the story of Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. He has suggested a compensation if the story if based on his life. The development happened last week. There is no reason actually for us to give in to any demand as it's not really based on his life. But we have no issues in meeting and clarifying it with him. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is not based on Bunty's life but is a combination of many real-life incidents and it is essentially a comedy. If Bunty tries to stall the release, we will speak to him. If necessary, we will take legal recourse."

Director Dibakar Banerjee (directed Khosla Ka Ghosla earlier) says, "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. is a comedy about a thief. Abhay is this compulsive thief who aspires for a good life. In his own rustic way, he is suave and stylish. His modus operandi is to outsmart the people, chowkidars and policemen with his sharp mind and wit. He makes you laugh all the time and despite his humble origins he keeps struggling against the odds. He steals anything, from kitchen utensils, to dogs, to Mercedes cars to expensive jewellery. Lucky is an aspiring individual who loves good things in life and is generally enamoured by the lifestyles of rich and affluent Delhi families."

Buzz is that a major part of Lucky's character is based on Bunty, who is currently lodged in Delhi Jail. Dibakar says, "Lucky's character is based on many thieves and there is a large element of fiction. I have met Bunty and I was quite impressed by him but this film is not based on his life. I have done research on lots of thieves and their behaviour and motivations. Meeting Bunty was a part of it. Oye Lucky... is based on several true-life incidents and whether it is based on true life or not, like Khosla Ka Ghosla, the atmosphere of the film is taken from real life."