What bogs the film down is that it's too predictable from start to end. However, predictability is not the sole hitch here. The story doesn't have the zing to keep you hooked to the screen for most parts and also, it unravels at such a lethargic pace that you break into a yawn at several points of the narrative.

The sole aspect that you carry home is Shahid Kapoor's earnest performance, who has consistently taken one step ahead with every film. This time, unfortunately, the shoddy script makes the actor's efforts null and void. Final verdict? A chance lost! Come to think of it, most dance-based reality shows on television these days promise far more entertainment, excitement, drame-baazi and those euphoric moments than the one you see in CHANCE PE DANCE. CHANCE PE DANCE tells the story of a talented and passionate guy named Sameer [Shahid Kapoor]. Positive and brimming with energy, Sameer juggles various jobs to keep him afloat while pursuing his one dream to get a break on the big screen. In his quest, Sameer has a lot of ups and down, hopes and disappointments. Not the one to be disillusioned and armed with a 'Never-Say-Die' attitude and dynamic talent, Sameer fights every hurdle that comes his way because achieving your biggest dream is never easy.

In this journey, he is helped by a spirited choreographer Tina [Genelia D'Souza] and eventually, Sameer realizes that sometimes life gives you that one chance. The problem with CHANCE PE DANCE is its writing is tacky and bland at the same time. In today's times, when every film-maker is striving so hard to narrate a new story, CHANCE PE DANCE harps on the same-old mundane, clichéd, tried-and-tested that you've watched again and again and again. The journey of the protagonist is so lifeless that you don't feel for him when he loses one battle after another. Conversely, during the climax, when he eventually emerges a winner, you don't feel euphoric either. ??Had the story remained faithful to the main plot - the struggles of an aspirant - it may've cut ice with the viewer. But the track of a dance teacher doesn't work. Also, the sequences with his father - right from the time his father's shop is demolished, to his father prodding him to chase his dreams - appears phony. The Mohnish Bahl track is also contradictory. At first he signs Shahid, later dumps him, but much later screams on TV channels that he always knew Shahid was a star… weird, isn't it? The ending is equally tame.

Director Ken Ghosh has filmed a few individualistic scenes well, especially the one at the interval point when a heart-broken Shahid finds solace in his students, but one sparrow does not a summer make. Adnan Sami's music is strictly okay. The movie clearly lacks a hit number to take it to dizzy heights. However, the choreography is top notch [Ahmed Khan, Marty Kudelka]. Shahid makes a sincere effort and the honesty shows in a number of scenes. But let's not forget that the best of actors cannot rise beyond a pitiable script. His dances, expectedly, are exceptional. Genelia looks cute and provides some pleasant moments, but the role doesn't demand histrionics. Mohnish Behl is alright. Parikshit Sahani is getting typecast as the father. On the whole, this dance stands less chance!

There’s a sub-plot, which entertains you for a while, but which is sadly sidelined for some reason. In stead, you have to bear with another tale of an out-of-towner making it in the big, bad entertainment world of Mumbai.

After three years of struggling, Sam finally lands the lead role in a dance-based film. But even as the film takes a while to roll, Sam is thrown out of his house by his landlord and has no money to afford even a decent meal.

So even if your heart is supposed to go out to penniless Sam – living out of his car now – he looks like he’s been splurging on protein shakes and working out at a high-end gym, although there are no scenes to establish that. Our hero is just blessed with an eight-pack, it seems.

Unwillingly, Sam takes up the job of a dance instructor at a school, and has to prepare a bunch of kids with two left feet to compete at a dance competition where they stood last among 22 schools the previous year. School of Rock ‘n’ Roll, anyone? Meanwhile, the director of Sam’s film backtracks on his promise to cast him as the hero and launches a nationwide hunt for the role in stead.

Obviously, Sam participates, urged by his girlfriend Tina (Genelia), and if you feel there’s any chance of him not winning this competition, then clearly you are very imaginative.

Sadly, the makers of CPD aren’t. In fact, director Ken Ghosh and his writers don’t seem to have worked on making the film even a little bit engrossing.

The best sequences – and they are few – are the ones where Sam interacts with the kids at school. Even though you see this track go down the road-already-travelled by the Jack Black cult, School of Rock, you don’t mind it so much because at least, then, its not purely a struggler-trying-to-make-it-big-in-Mumbai kind of a story.

Sadly, that’s too much to ask for. The ‘dance competition’ that the kids participate in is hurriedly wrapped up – they obviously win – and then the film is once again about Sam striking gold as an actor.

The only area where the makers seem to have put in any effort is the execution of the dance sequences, and even if a few of them are entertaining, they don’t do much for the film otherwise. They have been picturised well – although one song where Shahid and Genelia are shown to tower over Mumbai’s buildings looks like a 90s music video – and Shahid brings the dances alive with his moves.

The songs, however, are not the kinds you would remember later. The sole exception is ‘Pump It Up’, in the climax, but you’re so fed up with CPD by then that you don’t really care.

Shahid gives an uneven performance, ranging from very good to hammy (especially when he’s supposed to do comedy). Post-Kaminey, you see the actor in a new light and he looks a lot more confident and sure of what he’s doing onscreen.

Although he does not-so-badly, performance wise, he needs to smarten up and choose films that do justice to his talent. His dances are a treat to watch.

Genelia is cuteness personified and gives a pleasant performance. Her pairing with Shahid works and scenes where they get to know each other are sweet.

Parikshit Sahni seems to be playing the troubled father in every second film and does a repeat of what he did in 3 Idiots and Dulha Mil Gaya recently.

Director Ghosh seems to have put all his efforts on song picturisations and little else. But with a story and script as bland, you can’t really expect him to make any sort of mark.

Chance Pe Dance is the kind of film where you know the end and can’t wait to get there, even if it takes its own sweet time to do so.

Watch it only if you’re a die-hard Shahid fan and if three good songs and four good scenes satisfy you as an audience.