Fortune favors the brave – this is a slogan that accurately describes Lucky Baskar. Director Venky Atluri’s latest offering, a far cry from his previous offerings, is this year’s Diwali gift to the audience. Lucky Baskar is a film that tells how a middle-class man, who aims for the sky, gets derailed by greed, but is smart enough to get him out of the mess. Sounds interesting, right?

Baskhar (Dulquer Salmaan) is a cashier in Magadh Bank. He is the sole breadwinner of his family, which consists of his wife Sumati (Meenakshi Choudhary), son Karthik (Ritvik), his ailing father, brother and sister. They are on the verge of poverty and are strangled by debt. At that time, Anthony (Ramki), a man who wants a loan from Baskar’s bank, comes with an offer which he cannot refuse due to his family circumstances.

This is a proposal that changes Baskar’s life. It teaches him the value of money and how it can get his family out of the trap of problems. But, at one point, greed takes over and derails Baskar. Does he succeed in getting her out of the mess she has created? What will happen to his family and future?

Director Venky Atluri’s Lucky Baskar starts off on a slow pace, focusing on the lead character’s life and his struggles due to lack of money. Despite problems, they live a happy life. But, when money knocks at their door due to their involvement in many illegal activities, it changes their lives for good. Well, in the beginning. But, it also starts swallowing Baskar.

Here is the trailer:

Lucky Bashkhar is a character study of Bashkhar, a shrewd banker who is able to get out of any difficult situation with his quick decision-making skills. Be it banking or stock market, Bashkars learn from their mistakes before it is too late. The first half of the film slowly takes us through Baskhar’s life and his need to get involved in several illegal activities to help fulfill his family’s wishes. This is where the film lags a bit as all the fights are resolved within a minute.

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For a rookie, Baskar is shown as the one who outwits Anthony, who brings him the real job. This convenient writing keeps you distracted throughout the long first half. But Venky soon corrects his mistakes and makes the second part exciting and engaging. We see Bashkhar get trapped in a big bank receipt scam, but the way he comes out of it is what makes Lucky Bashkhar an interesting endeavor.

Congratulations to Director Venky Atluri for neatly explaining the functioning of banking, trading and stock market to a common man. He brilliantly establishes plot points through conflicts and surprises the audience with rewarding outcomes. One of the complaints with the film is Dulquer breaking the fourth wall and directly addressing the audience, which kind of spoils the flow. But, again, it’s a personal choice.

Dulquer Salmaan is exceptional as Baskar, a middle-class man. He brings alive the humiliations, daily struggles and never-ending financial commitments in life through his role. Once he makes profits from his illegal activities, he becomes a changed man. And Dulquer displays both the characteristics with his subtle yet effective performance. He is supported by Meenakshi Choudhary, Sachin Khedekar and many others. GV Prakash’s music, Nimish Ravi’s cinematography and Naveen Nooli’s editing suit the mood of the film.

Lucky Baskar stars in the lead role thanks to Venky Atluri’s attention to detail and excellent performance.

3 out of 5 stars for Lucky Baskar.