Lucky Bhaskar Movie Review: Venky Atluri And Dulquer Salman Deliver An Entertaining Crime Drama Thriller

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Lucky Bhaskar is a Telugu movie written and directed by Venky Atluri. It has something in common with all those scams that took place in the 90s. Of course, there have been a few iterations of the scam like the 1992 Scam and the BigBull story. But what makes this story different is that there are a few moments for the twists to start and then when you wonder what is going to happen something mind-blowing happens. This story only focuses on a man named Bhaskar (Dulquer Salman) who is lucky enough that he can find his way in the midst of all these.

Bhaskar is a simple man with a happy family but loaded with lots of problems. He is an honest bank cashier who works hard without even taking a day off. To somehow manage the household he takes small-time loans but is still happy with a smile on your face. But when the deserved promotion and the loans start crawling up to him a series of misfortunes come at his doorsteps. Deciding to push his luck one day he tries something against his own rules. From this exact moment, we do know Bhaskar is going to dive but the rollercoaster ride that Venky Atluri takes makes us cheer the man who is not always right till the end credits roll.

The relationship drama too unfolds simultaneously with the situation. Even though when Bhaskar was struggling to make all ends meet his wife Sumathi (Meenakshi Chaudhary) supports him with her pickle delivery. In short, they are in total sync with each other and shoulder each other through the tough times. The romance and the family clash are well explained in a movie that needs no further explanations. As you know there are some characters in every story who are the same kind as his son and his father who is surely going to surprise towards the end.

The movie is set in 1989-1992 which allows you guys to see the similarities in the 1992 Scam and even the name Harshad Mehta is heard in the movie but it is tweaked a little bit in here. With some creative liberties, he puts Bhaskar in the middle of this chaos and it almost seems real after every scene progresses. He presents his own version of the bank and trading scam and makes us believe that with every lie he sets up he somehow escapes as he sure is lucky. As the movie is set in these years the fraud pulled by Bhaskar is somehow not caught and also the lack of surveillance makes him fortunate enough which helps in the later part of the storytelling.

At the midpoint when Bhaskar is caught in his own deceit it almost seems like he surely is going down but that's when he says that the real story is about to begin now. Well, he sure is not wrong as the real story is about to start. You start to discover that even the managers, small-time businessmen and all the higher-ups are somehow involved in the scam and the result is surely going to be cathartic if Bhaskar gets caught. But what sets apart this movie is the interesting turn the story takes to keep us guessing while taking a huge leap in the story. The money makes Bhaskar egoistic and changes him inside out but is brought to the ground by Sumathi. She helps him take a peek into his conscience and is brave enough to show him the mirror.

Dulquer Salman portrays Bhaskar as full of sincerity and the rest of it works with his charms. He is appealing as a middle-class man and does not hesitate in carrying his arrogance in the latter half of the movie. The transformation look by Archana Rao has helped the character to rebuild when he splurges money on the spur of the moment. He plays the role so enduringly that it seems approachable and so relatable that you feel there might be a Bhaskar around you. Meenakshi Chaudhary had a meagre role in Guntur Kaaram but as Sumathi she excelled and played as a supporting wife and a devoted mother. Rajkumar Kasireddy, Maganti Srikanth, Hyper Aadhi, Ramki, Tinnu Anand and Sachin Khedekar have played their parts very well. Especially  Surya Srinivas who plays his friend Sandeep is one of the most honest characters in the movie.

Atluri's engaging screenplay and cinematographer Nimish Ravi made sure that our eyes have never left the screens. The retro vibe and the charm of those eras have been well-created by art director Banglan it really creates a unique cinematic experience on screen. The film's dialogues are so well-crafted that they devise a great punch when it is required and also add value to the storytelling. The songs are not so great but the background scores by GV Prakash do the deal. 

Lucky Bhaskar on the whole is a little predictable at points but then the way how the story plays out in the end is literally the appeal. It emerges as a thriller film where you do not expect the turns it takes and with such an amazing crew the film does wonders. A nostalgic backdrop and the bygone eras added an extra pull towards the story. Lucky Bhaskar is still running in the theaters with a good box-office collection so if you are yet to watch it just go for it without thinking twice.