Lucky Baskhar review: Dulquer Salmaan charms in Venky Atluri’s ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ paced con drama

Films on the stock market in India are few and far between. Filmmaker Venky Atluri, who is mostly known for his Telugu romantic comedy dramas, attempts to fill the gap with ‘Lucky Baskhar’ featuring Dulquer Salmaan. The film gives us a peak into the deep, dark dealings of the financial underworld, but that does not mean that ‘Lucky’ is dark in any way.
In fact, the film’s treatment of financial fraud is breezy, with the right balance of charm and sensitivity needed to keep a film of this genre interesting. This is where Atluri, who had an unsuccessful outing last year with ‘Vaathi,’ excels. He channels his experience directing romantic comedies to fit the style and pace of a film that takes a leaf out of Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer ‘Wolf of Wall Street.’

‘Lucky Baskhar’ is just a con-drama. The film emphasises on family values too, in good measure. In fact, the first half of the film focuses on family, giving you an insight into Baskhar’s life in Mumbai during the 80s. Baskhar, played by Dulquer, is a petty cashier in Magadha Bank, who is awaiting his promotion. His family, comprising his wife Sumathi (Meenakshi Chowdhury) and son, go through hard times as he cannot provide much for them with his meagre earnings. Owing to this, his family is treated poorly. When he hits rock bottom, he is lured into money laundering, which later exposes him to a world of stock markets and banking scams.

The film’s overriding theme is money and what it does to people who don't know how to use it. Baskhar wants to break out of that cycle, just like Rocky Bhai in the Yash-starrer KGF, who felt the need to become the richest man in the world. If Rocky Bhai did it for his mother, Baskhar did it for his wife and son. How he deals with the scams and family issues forms the crux of the film.

Apart from Atluri’s making, Dulquer Salmaan as Baskhar is one of the reasons why ‘Lucky Baskhar’ is such a treat to watch. Dulquer pulls off Baskhar with ease, which is evident throughout the film. His charm works in every scene; if you observe closely, there are traces of Frank Abagnale from ‘Catch Me If You Can’ in Baskhar’s mannerisms.

Meenakshi does not have much to do as Sumathi, but convinces as a woman and wife with a grounded viewpoint about the world. Surya Srinivas, Kishore Raju Vasistha, Ramki, among others also play their roles to perfection. G V Prakash Kumar’s background score perfectly suits the nature of the film, while Nimish Ravi also does a fine job with his frames.

What affects the film at times is the banking sector jargon used at certain points. Some of the comedy scenes may lack logic, but one can overlook those flaws, thanks to some good writing and the film's screenplay. Overall, the film scores in style of making, performances of its stars and in portraying the common man sensibilities well.