A voice over of Baskhar (Dulquer Salmaan) says, ‘a good gambler knows when to stop playing.’ But is Baskhar a good gambler? This is the premise of Lucky Baskhar, a Telugu film directed by Venkat Atluri. 

Lucky Baskhar stars actors Dulquer Salmaan and Meenakshi Chaudhary in the lead roles. 

The movie is set in the year 1992; Baskhar a bank employee, is caught by the CBI for possessing a whopping Rs 100 crore in his bank account. And breaking the fourth wall staring into the camera, Baskhar says, ‘Where should I begin the story?’ This is how quirkily the story unfolds. 

The 1990s was when the Harshad Mehta scam broke out. Mehta was involved in manipulating the Indian stock market by exploiting the loopholes in the banking system to funnel money into the stock market. And this is a fictional story of a man who was part of the scandal. 

Until a few years before the story begins, Baskhar was a cashier struggling to make ends meet. He was deep in debt as he took care of his entire family including a sister, a brother and a paralysed father. Even his relatives derided him for being poor. His sincerity and commitment at work is rewarded with mere trophies instead of an actual promotion and pay raise that could relieve his financial burden. 

When pushed to a corner, Baskhar decides to abandon his loyalty and sincerity to the bank. He makes quick money illegally — and he’s so enticed by the respect he earns as a rich man that he does not give up on his criminal activities. The screenplay is never dull even if some characters are written in a predictable manner. 

Lucky Baskhar shifts gears in the second half where the story moves from the petty crimes to large-scale banking and trading scandals. Writer and director Venkat Atluri succeeds in making a smooth transition in the second half without any jerks. In a con-drama, you know that the lead actor is smart enough to dodge the challenges and escape from being caught, but the way he does it makes you root for him. Atluri knows the risk of cheating the audience so restrains himself from employing the technique often.

Along with the screenplay, the brilliant dialogues on moral dilemmas add heft to the story.

A drama like this would work only when the stakes are high. And Atluri provides enough emotions to root for the main character. Baskhar’s world revolves around his wife Sumathi (Meenakshi) and son Karthik (Rithvik). Both these characters are given adequate screen time for the family drama to work. The real surprise in the film is Baskhar’s father. He brings in the unpredictable element to the story.  

The set-up for the third-act is fantastic after Sumathi (Meenakshi) confronts Baskhar. 

Dulquer really anchors this con-drama with his impressive performance. For a character which requires one to be both kind and arrogant at times, he aces the role. 

Meenakshi, who gets a meaty role in the film, delivers a fine performance. Music composer GV Prakash is another asset to the film. His music adds the necessary suspense and ably helps with the proceedings. 

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film’s producers or any other members of its cast and crew.