What’s it about?
Time period: 1990s. Location: Bombay.
Baskhar (Dulquer Salmaan), a junior-level employee at Magadha Bank in Bombay, is struggling financially due to poor income and loans. His wife Sumathi (Meenakshi Chaudhary) wants to launch Home Foods but can’t secure funding. After experiencing humiliation and disappointment at his bank, he devises a plan to earn extra money by temporarily lending the bank’s ledger money to a man named Ramki.
It was his first success in overcoming financial problems and also his ‘first’ attempt at twisting loopholes to his advantage.
From this point on, he gradually gains the trust of the bank chairman and receives a promotion. He suspects that the bank’s executives are assisting stock broker Harsha.
Initially, he takes advantage of the circumstances and earns money through commissions. However, things do not go as planned. His wife also forces him to stop all this, and as he was to wind down his money earning from ‘wrong window’, the CBI raids him and discovers Rs 100 crore in his account. How will Baskhar get out of this mess? Will he be imprisoned?
Analysis
“Lucky Baskhar” covers a wide range of topics, including bank dealings, money laundering, and stock broking. The story presents a new angle for Telugu cinema, as mainstream Telugu films have not previously tackled these subjects. However, those familiar with numerous web series, such as the popular series “Scam 1992,” which focuses on the Harshad Mehta scam, can readily identify the inspiration that director Venky Atluri drew from.
“Lucky Baskhar” also takes place in 1992 in Bombay, where the protagonist Baskhar indirectly interacts with Harshad Mehta. However, the film primarily focuses on Baskhar’s ingenious methods of earning money, both legally and illegally, and his ability to emerge unapprehended.
Venky Atluri begins the story in a different way, with Dulquer Salmaan describing what has happened so far while looking at the camera. The film begins with CBI investigators seeking to know about a scam happened at the bank. Venky then begins informing Dulquer’s family about his financial issues, his encounter with Ramki and their transactions, and his inventiveness in making money legally through unlawful means. The director simplifies financial frauds in a way that a general audience may understand.
While the domestic drama and scenes involving the protagonist’s wife are uninteresting, the episodes detailing financial scams captivate us. We learn how Baskhar uses stock trader Harshad Mehta’s frauds to his advantage and his money laundering strategies.
However, many of the situations in the second half bear similarities to those found in the web dramas “Scam 1992” and “Ozark.” The protagonist’s characterization is very reminiscent of the Hollywood blockbuster “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
The narration has ups and downs. Despite a relatively fresh angle for a Telugu cinema—a hero indulging in white collar crimes legally—the film also suffers from predictability and familiarity at many episodes.
Dulquer truly embodies the character and carries the movie entirely on his shoulders. In fact, the film is all about him. It is a character-driven story. Consequently, Dulquer comprehends the narrative and responds appropriately. His inherent charisma is also advantageous. Meenakshi Chaudhary receives fairly better role compared to her prior performances in films like “GOAT” and “Guntur Kaaram.” A multitude of actors, such as Ramki, Tinnu Anand, Sachin Khedekar, and Kasireddy Rajkumar, play in a regular manner.
Venky Atluri and his cinematographer attempt to reflect the story’s Bombay setting of the 1990s through sets and visual effects, but the results fall short of being of superior quality. Music doesn’t contribute much to the proceedings, as songs are routine and the background score is loud.
As a writer and director, Venky Atluri succeeds at narrating in a clear manner.
Bottom line: “Lucky Baskhar” talks about financial scams and projects the protagonist as a ‘loveable’ scamster. Dulquer Salmaan’s charismatic acting makes this character-driven story interesting to an extent. Despite inconsistencies in narrative and lack of strong technical output, the film makes a decent watch.
Rating: 3/5
By Jalapathy Gudelli
Film: Lucky Baskhar
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Ramki, Maanasa Choudhary, Hyper Aadi, Surya Sreenivas, 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, Sai Soujanya
Written and Directed by: Venky Atluri
Release Date: Oct 31, 2024
