Lucky Baskhar
| Lucky Baskhar | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Venky Atluri |
| Written by | Venky Atluri |
| Produced by | Suryadevara Naga Vamsi Sai Soujanya |
| Starring | Dulquer Salmaan Meenakshi Chaudhary |
| Cinematography | Nimish Ravi |
| Edited by | Naveen Nooli |
| Music by | G. V. Prakash Kumar |
Production companies | Sithara Entertainments Fortune Four Cinemas |
Release date |
|
Running time | 151 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹100 crore[1][2][3] |
| Box office | est. ₹102.5 crore[4] |
Lucky Baskhar (stylised as Lucky Baskha₹) is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language period crime drama film written and directed by Venky Atluri. The film is produced by S. Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinema and Srikara Studios. It stars Dulquer Salmaan in the titular role, alongside Meenakshi Chaudhary. Set in the 1980s, the film follows the titular banker's mysterious riches.
The film was officially announced in May 2023 under the tentative title Dulquer Salmaan 32, as it is the actor's 32nd film as a lead actor, and the official title was announced that July. Principal photography commenced in October 2023. It was predominantly shot in Hyderabad. The film has music composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, cinematography handled by Nimish Ravi and editing by Naveen Nooli.[5][6][7][8]
Lucky Baskhar was released worldwide on 31 October 2024, coinciding Diwali and received positive reviews from critics.
Plot
 | This article needs an improved plot summary. (November 2024) |
The movie follows Baskar (Dulquer Salmaan), a lower-middle-class man struggling to support his family while battling debt and humiliation. Desperate to escape his hand-to-mouth existence, Baskar takes a dangerous plunge into the murky world of financial scams.
The story unfolds with Baskar narrating his journey directly to the audience, often breaking the fourth wall to reveal twists and provide insights into his motivations. Initially depicted as a man burdened by family responsibilities and financial woes, Baskar seizes an opportunity to exploit loopholes in the banking system. What begins as a desperate bid to make quick money evolves into a calculated involvement in a larger stock market and money laundering scheme.
As Baskar rises from rags to riches, his character transforms, exposing arrogance and ambition. However, his wife Sumathi (Meenakshi Chaudhary), serving as his moral compass, questions his choices and forces him to confront the consequences of his actions. The narrative delves into the workings of financial fraud, drawing inspiration from real-life events while maintaining its creative liberty.
With tight storytelling, clever twists, and a powerful performance by Dulquer Salmaan, Lucky Baskar explores themes of ambition, morality, and redemption, culminating in a gripping finale where Baskar must decide whether he can escape the chaos he has created or face the repercussions of his choices.
Cast
- Dulquer Salmaan as Baskhar Kumar
- Meenakshi Chaudhary as Sumathi, Baskhar's wife
- Ramki as Anthony
- Maanasa Choudhary as Mona, a prostitute
- Surya Sreenivas as Sandeep
- Sarvadaman D. Banerjee as Prahalad Kumar, Baskhar's father
- Rithvik Jothi Raj as Karthik, Baskhar and Sumathi's son
- Sachin Khedekar as Vinod Bhosle, General Manager of Magadha Bank
- P. Sai Kumar as CBI Officer Laxman Rao
- Tinnu Anand as Chairman of Magadha Bank
- Sivannarayana Naripeddi as Narayanan, Vault Manager of Magadha Bank
- Sudha as Sumathi's mother
- Raghu Babu as a fake politician
- Prabhas Sreenu as a visa consultant
- Hyper Aadi as a broker
- Rajkumar Kasireddy as Samba, Bhaskar's best friend
- Shashidhar as Sumathi's elder brother
- Gayatri Bhargavi as Latha
- Maganti Srikanth as Suraj
- Manik Reddy as Patel Bhai
- Mathew Varghese as Hariharan, Katari bank worker
- Charan Lakkaraju as a college applicant
- Mahesh Achanta as a stock market analyst
Production
Development
After the success of Vaathi in early 2023, it was reported that Venky Atluri had met Dulquer Salmaan and narrated a script which impressed the actor. Production was reported to begin after Dulquer completes his commitments for King of Kotha (2023).[citation needed] The project would be funded by S. Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya's Sithara Entertainment, Fortune Four Cinemas and Sikara Studios.[9] The company made a public announcement on 15 May 2023, confirming the project,[10] and also stating that filming would begin the following October and would be released in the Summer (June–August 2024).[11] The film's official title, Lucky Bashkar, was announced on 28 July 2023.[12]
Filming
Principal photography began with the first schedule on 4 October 2023 in Hyderabad.[13]
Soundtrack
| Lucky Baskhar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2024 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Language | Telugu | |||
| Label | Aditya Music | |||
| G. V. Prakash Kumar chronology | ||||
| ||||
The music of the film was composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar. The audio rights were acquired by Aditya Music. The first single, "Srimathi Garu", was released on 19 June 2024.[citation needed] The second single, the title track, was released on 28 July 2024.[citation needed]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Srimathi Garu" | Sri Mani | Vishal Mishra, Shweta Mohan | 3:47 |
| 2. | "Lucky Baskhar" | Ramajogayya Sastry | Usha Uthup | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Nijamaa Kalaa" | Sri Mani | G. V. Prakash Kumar | 3:47 |
Release
Lucky Baskhar was released worldwide on 31 October 2024, coinciding Diwali along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi languages.[14] It was initially reported to be released in the month of July 2024[15] but was postponed to release on 27 September 2024.[16] Furthur, it was preponed to 7 September 2024 coinciding with Vinayaka Chavithi to avoid box-office clash with the releasing films, but was again postponed.[17]
Reception
Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Lucky Baskhar emerges as a captivating period crime thriller, blending a nostalgic backdrop with a tale of human ambition and resilience."[18] Sashidhar Adivi of Times Now gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Lucky Bhaskar is a perfect blend of emotions and clever financial themes. It is tough to craft this kind of drama."[19] Janani K of India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Lucky Baskhar works for the major part because of Venky Atluri’s attention to detail and superlative performances."[20]
Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote "Director Venky Atluri strikes a fine balance between exploring financial scam and relationships in Lucky Baskhar, headlined by a superb Dulquer Salmaan."[21]
References
- ^ "Dulquer Salman's Lucky Bashkar A Success In Tamil Nadu And Andhra, Not So Much In Kerala". News18. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
- ^ "ബജറ്റ് 100 കോടി, ലക്കി ഭാസ്കറുമായി തിരിച്ചുവരവിനൊരുങ്ങി ദുൽഖർ". Reporter TV. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ Raveendran, Dhanya. "100 കോടി ബജറ്റിൽ ദുൽഖർ ചിത്രം; മുടക്ക് മുതൽ തിരിച്ചു പിടിക്കുമോ ലക്കി ഭാസ്കർ?". Vellinakshatram. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ "'Lucky Baskhar' box office collections day 19: Dulquer Salmaan's film crosses Rs 100 crores". TOI. 19 November 2024. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan's 'Lucky Baskhar' preponed, film to release on September 7". India Today. 9 July 2024.
- ^ "ബാങ്ക് മോഷണവുമായി ദുൽഖർ; 'ലക്കി ഭാസ്കർ' ടീസർ". Manoramaonline. 11 April 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary's Lucky Baskhar gets a new release date for Ganesh Chaturthi". Hindustan times. 8 July 2024. Archived from the original on 9 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary's Lucky Baskhar To Now Release On This Date". News18. 9 July 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan's film with Venky Atluri touted to be pan-Indian action drama". India Today. 16 May 2023. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ PTI (15 May 2023). "Dulquer Salmaan to star in 'Vaathi' director Venky Atluri's next". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan signs his next Telugu film with Venky Atluri". Bollywood Hungama. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan's next with Venky Atluri titled Lucky Baskhar". www.dtnext.in. 29 July 2023. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "MAD | Dulquer Salmaan remembers his early days in cinema: We looked like." OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan's Lucky Baskhar gets a new release date". Cinema Express. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan starrer Lucky Baskhar set to release in July". Cinema Express. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan's Lucky Baskhar gets a new release date". Cinema Express. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "Lucky Baskhar's release date moved up". Cinema Express. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "Lucky Baskhar Movie Review : Dulquer Salmaan Anchors Atluri's Engaging Retro Crime Drama". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Lucky Baskhar Movie Review: Dulquer Salmaan's Film Is A Fascinating Ride". Times Now. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ "Lucky Baskhar review: Dulquer Salmaan is terrific in film on banking, share market". India Today. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
- ^ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (31 October 2024). "'Lucky Baskhar' movie review: An entertaining drama from Venky Atluri and Dulquer Salmaan". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 November 2024.