Movie: Lucky Baskhar
Rating: 3/5
Banner: Sithara Entertainments, Fortune 4
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Ramki, Maanasa Choudhary, Hyper Aadi, Surya Sreenivas, Rithvik, Sachin Khedekar, Sai Kumar, Tinnu Anand, and others
Music: G. V. Prakash Kumar
DOP: Nimish Ravi
Editor: Navin Nooli
Production Designer: Banglan
Producer: Naga Vamsi, S - Sai Soujanya
Written and Directed by: Venky Atluri
Release Date: Oct 31, 2024
The trailer for Dulquer Salmaan's film Lucky Baskhar created a lot of buzz. It was so gripping that it raised high expectations.
Let’s find out if the film lives up to them.
Story:
The entire story takes place in Mumbai during the 1990s. Baskhar (Dulquer Salmaan), a bank employee, lives with his wife Sumathi (Meenakshi) and their son. Baskhar is struggling financially, and his planned promotion at the bank has not materialized.
One day, he starts earning additional money by managing cash at the counter and using it to help his friend Antony (Ramki) and taking his commission.
Later, not knowing what he is doing, the bank's superiors believe in his honesty and promote him to AGM, assigning him to oversee stock broker Harsha Mehra's accounts. This completely transforms his life.
Baskhar profits from his involvement in managing Harsha's specific needs. Later on, he also begins to engage in money laundering. This causes problems at home with his wife and then with his bank.
How will Baskhar get out of legal and banking problems? Is he a hero or a fraud?
Artistes’ Performances:
Dulquer Salmaan once again excels in a role that leans toward the morally ambiguous. He carries the film even through routine sequences, making him its primary asset.
Meenakshi Chaudhary has the chance to shine in a few scenes, but beyond those, her role is limited.
Also Read: KA Review: Crime Story Wrapped In Mystery
Ramki’s role is quite standard, with nothing particularly notable. Surya Srinivas, as Sandeep, and Kasiraj, as Dulquer's friend, both perform well in their roles.
Sachin Khedekar and Tinnu Anand are adequate.
Technical Excellence:
The film’s cinematography is decent, while the production design stands out, with Mumbai recreated impressively in a studio. The visuals effectively convey an authentic atmosphere, with the bank setting, streets, and other elements showcasing quality artwork.
GV Prakash Kumar's background music lacks depth, though the songs are enjoyable. Overall, the soundtrack is fairly plain. Editing is sharp and effective in the first half.
Highlights:
Dulquer Salmaan
Engaging First Half
Final moments
Drawback:
Post-interval scenes
Background music
Banking jargon
Analysis:
The beginning of Lucky Baskhar is quite engaging, introducing a story that Telugu cinema has rarely explored. Financial frauds and scams are fresh ground for the industry, and director Venky Atluri skillfully incorporates elements like money laundering, bank scams, and stock brokerage scams into the plot. His protagonist is also morally complex, adding depth. At the script level, Lucky Baskhar avoids routine formulas and presents a relatively fresh narrative.
However, it’s challenging for a mainstream Telugu director to tell a story centered around stock broking and bank frauds without slipping into familiar tropes. Venky Atluri handles the first half well, but as noted, the momentum falters in the second half. The narration loses its grip and follows a formulaic path for much of the latter part.
The first half showcases Baskhar's financial struggles and the circumstances leading to his misguided choices, with the interval delivering an impactful twist. The plot introduces the Harshad Mehta scam post-interval. Although well-executed, these sequences may feel repetitive for those familiar with the web series Scam 1992.
Despite Venky Atluri’s promotional claim that Martin Scorsese’s 'The Wolf of Wall Street' inspired him, the film draws heavily from Hansal Mehta’s popular web series Scam 1992. Many scenes in the second half appear to be directly inspired by this series.
Additionally, the family drama lacks emotional depth, and Meenakshi Chaudhary’s character becomes monotonous. Fortunately, the climax regains audience attention.
Money laundering—a complex and illegal business—is presented too simplistically in the film, while the Kasiraj episode fails to engage. These aspects could have been handled with more nuance.
Overall, Lucky Baskhar is a decent take on bank and stock brokerage scams, narrated with some intrigue. The film’s unique theme and Dulquer Salmaan’s strong performance are its major strengths. In summary, Lucky Baskhar is for a mature audience with a basic interest in stock market and banking scams.
Bottom line: Tricky Baskhar