Lucky Baskhar
Introduction
Meet Baskhar (not Bhaskar because the perception that the makers want to give is on the lines of Lucky B@st@rd), a regular lower middle-class bank employee who envisions a promotion for himself, even while his reality is debt-ridden. In fact, his situation is so bad that his financial status has soon caught up with his immediate family – you see his son being refrained from eating a large chunk of the cake, you see the money lenders often at his doorstep in the quest for money, even while Baskhar is shown some respite by a local snack vendor by offering him an edible item for free. At his work place, Baskhar is an honest man, well almost….while running a small stall of bank clerical work for people at a nominal cost. Now given his financial condition, the sympathy always lies with his character even when he is making money on the side. This is the typical feeling that the makers of the new Telugu film Lucky Baskhar want us to feel, something that is directed towards the financial state of the protagonist which acts as an alibi for his actions that are designed to be skewed on a moral scale. This is precisely why you always root for the protagonist given the relatability of problems that are synonymous with the middle class sector, which essentially is the trigger point for larger scams that unfold in the drama.
Story & Screenplay
The premise of Lucky Baskhar is an engaging one because the makers give a fair share of the life of its protagonist while tactfully allowing you space to ponder on what if you found yourself in a similar situation. And because you are witness to the bond that Baskhar shares with his family, you don’t mind him voluntarily being embroiled in a harmless financial scam involving a couple of other folks. The events leading up to this new reality of his is simple – Baskhar is literally humiliated in front of his street by a moneylender who not only snitches his scooter but also tears his pocket, a physical symbol of the financial status of Baskhar who let alone the money, doesn’t even own a pocket. Later in the day, the promotion that he had his eyes on is conveniently transferred to another person, even while being humiliated in front of his colleagues following a confrontation. It is clear that Baskhar has chosen his new fate, and he may never look back.
One of the interesting facets of the writing lies in its unpredictability with respect to the actions of the protagonist. There are several instances where you indulge yourself in the narrative with respect to the ‘harmless’ scams of Baskhar which in the context of the drama seem petty and trivial. These scams might be hardly worth your attention, but these lay a foundation for something bigger that automatically adds to the character arc of the protagonist. Each time you might feel that he is about to be caught while the drama is fast-forwarded to a later event, only for a quick flashback to reveal a completely different picture. This kind of narrative, although not quite novel was an exciting one because the writers were always a couple of steps ahead of the viewers.
In all of the budding chaos in the life of Baskhar, there are moments of groundedness that comes in the form of his family comprising of his son and his wife (and later on his father). In a moving scene, you see Baskhar’s son being thankful of him and his mother to throw him a birthday party for the first time, even as he was often bullied by his friends for ‘eating free cake’ at other’s parties. Also, in a scene you see Baskhar’s wife keeping a tab on his finances by questioning him on how his behavior has slowly started to change. These incidents although mostly used as fillers are important in the context of the drama for two things – to ground the ambitions of Baskhar while offering a conflict of wanting to aim higher, something that paves way for a bigger scam in store.
I also enjoyed the era of the 90s where the drama is set in because it coincided with the Harshad Mehta Scam (remember Scam 1992?). Only thing being that Harshad Mehta is referenced as Harsha Mehra, even as the character finds himself in the tale with only the focus being on a more specific scam centered around Baskhar. This, while the twists and turns in the narrative that often keep you on your toes with greed being a virtue of sorts. There is a definitely smugness that you notice in the character of Baskhar while being true to his philosophy that people inquire only about the rich. Yet, the thing that delightfully separates Lucky Baskhar from some of the other dramas on financial scams is its consistent treatment that doesn’t necessarily offer a tapering character arc with respect to the downfall of the protagonist. This isn’t a film about morality anyway, so even the thought of a transformation for the better acts as an arc for redemption that goes a long way. The case in point being the delightfully playful final act that absolutely hits home although, it may not be from a moralalistic standpoint. The screenplay is really well written and a breath of fresh air in terms of the treatment of the protagonist who is more grounded rather than larger than life with a skewed board of morality.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are sharp and there is a rhythm in the drama that is represented through the lines. And I must say that there are no heavy monologues in the drama while being consistent with the playful theme of the drama that tends towards a comedy. Additionally, I liked how simplified the financial jargons were that further contributed towards a solid watch. The music is pretty good and it is so refreshing to witness that the songs do not randomly appear in the screenplay, but instead aide the narrative ahead. The BGM is pulsating and offers a sinister presence with respect to the proceedings of the drama. The cinematography is incredibly good comprising of frames that account for a lot style in the narrative while never breaking the grammer of the narrative. This was a huge positive coming from the Telugu Film Industry which is known to take such liberties in the name of massy entertainers. Even the production design and the colour grading was impressive to the point of being transported in the era of the 90s. The editing is razor sharp, and if you closely look at the narrative comprising of fast-forwards and quick flashbacks, both in the same breath, then you would know what a fine job the editor has done. Director Venky Atluri does a fabulous job with the characterization and world-building here. This is a remarkable step-up from his previous films wherein he firms maintains the grip in the narrative while never letting go of it. His treatment was immaculate with a focus on his character, and not being distracted by moral policing that made for a clear vision for the viewers too. Yes, Baskhar was a grey character and the filmmaker did not sugar-coat him by denying this virtue. The direction is excellent here.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the brilliant ensemble cast. Maanasa Choudhary as Mona has a wonderful screen presence and she shines despite a limited screen time. Micky Makhija as Himanshu too has his moments to shine. The veterans Tinnu Anand as Rajveer, Sai Kumar as Laxman Rao and Sachin Khedekar as Vinod are terrific with their performances, and each of them contributed wonderfully well towards the drama. Maganti Srinath as Suraj and Rajkumar Kasireddy as Samba are characters with varied ends of the spectrum as viewed through the lens of Baskhar, and both of them bring a drastically different flavour in the narrative. Ramki as Anthony is first rate and does a swell job. Meenakshi Chaudhary as Sumathi is the one character (just like Sai Pallavi from Amaran) that allows the protagonist to stay grounded to reality. And there was a sensitivity that was associated with a character despite a mildly skewed graph of morality wherein she was assertive towards her husband but also conflicted towards reaping the benefits towards her family. And Meenakshi was supremely impressive here. Dulquer Salmaan as Baskhar is a revelation here with his right mix of charm and smugness that is associated with his character. There is a casual and frivolous vibe that he oozes that is so refreshing to the point that he lures you into his world while you silently start rooting for his victory. In a way, he transforms you into his aide while momentarily skewing your scale of morality too, and that meant that this performance of his was excellent in every sense of the word. It won’t be wrong to say that you can’t keep a good actor down for too long.
Conclusion
Lucky Baskhar is a charismatic and engaging drama on financial scams backed by solid performances that ends up being one of my favourite Telugu Films Of 2024! It is particularly refreshing to watch this film from the Telugu Film Industry which isn’t known for its grounded narratives, something that hit home wonderfully well here. Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!