Dulquer Salmaan shines in grey role, linear screenplay mars the show
1 Nov 2024 12:50 PM IST
Dulquer Salmaan in Lucky Bhasker
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Ramki, Saikumar, Maanasa Choudhary, Sachin Khedekar, Hyper Aadi, Rajkumar Kasireddy and others
Direction: Venky Atluri
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
First things first, we are happy that talented Malayalam star Dulquer Salman has done a Telugu film ‘Lucky Bhaskar’ after a gap. His subtle and non-dramatic performance despite donning a grey role, pushes the film a few notches up. But the plot of a bank cashier taking cash out of the bank after office hours and using it for illegal acts is truly contrived.
Lucky Baskhar is primarily a story on ‘white collar’ crimes in the banking industry and how the hero exploits it to his convenience. These days, heroes playing grey and dark roles has become quite normal, but director Venky Atluri tries to justify the transition of an honest cashier into a corrupt one by creating ‘financial tensions’ at home and outside, which seems more forced then natural. However, Dulquer keeps the show going with his realistic performance and expressions which conveys more than dialogues in the movie. Like him handling his rich-in laws, ruthless financiers and his brother who dreams to study in London.
However, the film set in the 1990s takes a different turn in the second half with the introduction of Big Bull and Dalal Street. Actually, Hindi web series Scam 1992’ by ace director Hanshal Mehta showcased the rise and fall of Harshar Mehta, his fake Securities and Bank Receipts modus operandi in a gripping and hard-hitting manner. Director Venky takes a leaf out of it and highlights the involvement of private bank heads in this scam and the hero uses it to his advantage and makes a bounty.
The film falters because of the predictable screenplay-when the hero addresses the audience during a CBI interrogation and dilutes the seriousness and it just goes in an old fashioned linear order.
Unlike a Malayalam film, where the issue could have been handled more realistically, the director takes the commercial route and makes the hero invincible and makes his way easy and untouched.
The film starts with Dulquer Salmaan going for a jog and being detained by the CBI team led by Sai Kumar. During the interrogation, the Hero story is revealed as a bank cashier in a private bank who has a lot of financial burdens since he has to take care of his whole family. Pushed to the corner, he accepts a deal to give two lakh cash to a smuggler (Ramki) who promises to pay him back. He does it a couple of times and helps his family members to settle. He finally unearths a scam in bank receipts and makes a bounty. Will he be able to escape the hands of law? Watch the film in theatres to find out?
After playing an actor in ‘Mahanati’ and a soldier in ‘Sita Ramam,’ Dulquer has taken up the role of a tainted bank official and pulls it off with consummate ease. Meenakshi Seshadri has nothing much to do than just follow the hero. But she is okay in some emotional scenes. Sachin Kandekar and Tinnu Anand are just ok.
Director Venky Atluri seems to be fascinated with Bollywood stories. For his last film 'Sir', The film was loosely inspired by Hrithik Roshan's 'Super 30' with changes here and there. This time, the maker draws inspiration from 'Scam 1992' but has confined himself to exposing private bank officials fraudulent acts in the bank receipts scam of Harshad Mehta. But, tagging 'lucky' to a man who turned rich through white collar crime is truly unfortunate.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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