Lucky Bashkar is too complex and also technical

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This Telugu film, dubbed in Hindi, is a shade too technical and complex for general cinematic consumption. This will render it fit for critical acclaim alone and probably niche audience and fan endorsement.

It narrates the story of Bashkar (Dulquer Salmaan), a bank cashier whose family is in economic bad shape with his father (Sarvadaman D. Banerjee) paralyzed after being scammed in a bad deal. His wife is Sumathi (Meenakshi Chaudhary), who while being supportive despite hailing from a rich family, dreams of starting a food business from home. Bashkar’s friend is the peon Samba (Rajkumar Kasireddy).

Introduced to Anthony (Ramki), an import dealer, Bashkar joins in a small not-too-dangerous but unethical enterprise that brings money. And the web of temptation spreads wider and wider as Bashkar, who owes many creditors moneys, is tempted to fall again and again into quick-money schemes.

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Soon, his persona changes to arrogance as his riches increase, and his father warns him but Bashkar does not heed his advice, and soon both legal and domestic trouble begins and his dreams of a better life with family seem to ebb. What happens after that?

Unlike Scam 1992 and Scam 2003 on the web (both real stories) and Baazaar, the 2018 film that did not do well, this story makes things too complex for an audience that is not familiar with bank issues and finances. What we see either seems too complicated and incomprehensible or too convenient and simplistic, or all four together.

Dulquer Salmaan’s performance is breezy, cocky, arrogant and affectionate as per Bashkar’s moods and conditions, and he carries the film. Meenakshi Chaudhary as his wife impresses, and so do Ramki and Kasireddy. Sachin Khedekar is suave and smoothly sly, as his character demands, while Tinnu Anand as the chairman of the bank in which Bashkar works as well as P. Sai Kumar as CBI Officer Laxman Rao are also effective. A special mention needs be made of Gayatri Bhargavi as Latha, Bashkar’s colleague.

The technical; values are fine, ditto the background score. Writer-director Venky does a commendable job overall, but does not remember that a film will be watched by audiences who find the technical aspects and jargon next only to Greek and Latin as far as we are concerned. Simple rather than simplistic would have made all the difference. Nothing about this film is sub-par cinema, but as a movie made for the audience, it thus falls short, unless the viewer knows the zone where Bashkar works.

Rating: **

Sithara Entertainment’s & Fortune Four Cinemas’ Lucky Bashkar Produced by: Suryadevara Naga Vamsi & Sai Soujanya Written & Directed by: Venky Atluri Music: G. V. Prakash Kumar  Starring: Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Ramki, Sarvadaman D. Banerjee, Rajkumar Kasireddy, Sachin Khedekar, Tinnu Anand, P.Saikumar , Gayatri Bhargavi & others 

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