Lucky Man is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film directed by Balaji Venugopal in his directorial debut. The film stars Yogi Babu, Veera and Raichal Rabecca. It was released on 1 September 2023 and received positive reviews from critics and audience.[1]
Plot
Murugan, a struggling real estate agent, lives with his wife Deivanai and their son. Burdened by financial troubles, his luck seems to change when he wins a car, which he comes to consider his lucky charm. Shivakumar, a short-tempered police officer, crosses paths with Murugan over a parking dispute when Murugan attempts to park near a neighbor’s house. The situation escalates until a politician intervenes, compelling Shivakumar to apologize to Murugan. A few days later, Murugan prepares to meet an important client and parks his car near his landlord’s house, only to discover the vehicle missing the next day. With the help of his friend Venkat, he files a police complaint. When the case lands with Shivakumar, the officer promises to investigate. However, Venkat suggests that Shivakumar might have stolen the car to settle a personal grudge. Encouraged by Venkat, Murugan files a complaint against Shivakumar with higher authorities. In retaliation, Shivakumar frames Murugan in a drug peddling case. Meanwhile, a group of thugs tricks Murugan into paying two lakh rupees for a wrecked car, falsely claiming it is his stolen vehicle. Obsessed with recovering his car, Murugan loses focus at work and is eventually fired. His wife, unable to cope with the mounting troubles, leaves him. Desperate, Murugan kidnaps Shivakumar’s pet dog to make the officer understand the pain of losing something precious. Over time, Murugan realizes that Shivakumar is an honest officer. He returns the dog and confesses his actions. Touched by Murugan’s sincerity, Shivakumar helps recover the car and clears Murugan's name. In the end, Murugan reunites with his family, regaining both his dignity and happiness.
Cast
- Yogi Babu as Murugan
- Veera as Sivakumar
- Raichal Rabecca as Deivanai
- Abdool Lee as Venkat
- Suhasini Kumaran as Aparna, Sivakumar's fiancé
- R. S. Shivaji as Formula 1 Driving School Instructor
- Jayakumar as Pa. Ramanan
- Gowtham Sundararajan as Motivational speaker
- Hello Kandasamy as Shenbagamurthy
- Rahul Thatha as Suseenthiram Subbaiyah
- Pradeep K Vijayan as Kumaraguru
- Amit Bhargav as Amarnath Ramachandran
- Sathvick as Tamil
- Vilangu Ravi as Land buyer
- David Solomon Raja as Inspector Kamesh
- Ajith Koshy as Police inspector
- Mippu Samy as Car thief
- Rudra (dog) as Kayal
- Balaji Venugopal as RJ from Hello FM (special appearance)
Production
Production on the film took place around Chennai in late 2022, and the project was first announced to the media in February 2023.[2] The project, starring Yogi Babu and Veera, marked the directorial debut of actor Balaji Venugopal.[3] The release of the film was briefly delayed as Yogi Babu was keen to ensure that Bommai Nayagi (2023) was released first.[4]
Music
The music was composed by Sean Roldan.[5]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Naamadhan Raja" | Sean Roldan | Sean Roldan | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Thottu Thazhuvum Thendrale" | Balaji Venugopal | Savitha Sai | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Oru Vari Kadhai" | Balaji Venugopal, Sean Roldan | Pradeep Kumar | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Yedhudhaan Inga Sandhosam" | Balaji Venugopal | Sanjay Subrahmanyan | 3:08 |
| Total length: | 14:06 | |||
Reception
The film was released on 1 September 2023 across theatres in Tamil Nadu. Bhuvanesh Chandar from The Hindu wrote "Yogi Babu shoulders a mildly entertaining drama",[6] while Logesh Balachandran from The Times of India noted "Lucky Man is not very lucky enough to win our hearts completely, despite a good premise".[7] Jayabhuvaneshwari B from Cinema Express wrote "Lucky Man is an interesting film that leaves you entertained but does not necessarily travel along with you after you leave the theatres".[8]
References
- ^ "Yogi Babu's next, directed by Balaji Venugopal, titled Lucky Man". Cinema Express. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Yogi Babu's film with Balaji Venugopal titled 'Lucky Man'". The Times of India. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Balaji Venugopal ropes in Yogi Babu as lead". The Times of India. 18 February 2023. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ Rajaraman, Kaushik (7 February 2023). "We have aimed in making Lucky Man a timeless film: Balaji Venugopal". DT Next. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Lucky Man". JioSaavn. 4 August 2023. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (1 September 2023). "'Lucky Man' movie review: Yogi Babu pillars a mildly entertaining drama". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ Balachandran, Logesh (1 September 2023). "Lucky Man Movie Review : Lucky Man runs out of luck in the second half". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ B, Jayabhuvaneshwari (1 September 2023). "Lucky Man Movie Review: A convincing Yogi Babu and great dialogue writing elevate this simple comedy". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.