Exclusive | Venky Atluri Reveals Plans for 'Lucky Baskhar 2'

Writer and director Venky Atluri, whose newest project, Vishwanath and Sons, is up for release this August, opened up about his film lineup. In a conversation with THR India, Atluri revealed that he has two projects in the works and further hoped to work on a children’s film, in addition to a Lucky Baskhar sequel. "Lucky Baskhar will be a huge responsibility, and I want it to be right in many ways. Maybe in two years, I'll start Lucky Baskhar 2."

Lucky Baskhar, which was released in October 2024, starred Dulquer Salmaan as a mild-mannered banker in 1980s Bombay who becomes entangled in financial fraud. The film won Atluri the National Award for Best Dialogue at the 72nd National Film Awards.

Speaking on projects he hopes to work on, he added that he was keen to do a cop drama and a children's film. "There are no kids films these days. I want to do a proper kids film, something like a Disney film or Home Alone." 

Atluri also revealed what his writing process looks like, sharing that he already has two finished scripts which took him eight months to complete. He described his writing process as intensive; roughly 12 to 13 hours a day, with a full script taking him about four months.

Atluri also discussed wanting to work with actor Nani, admitting that while no such collaboration is currently in the works, he hopes to work with him in the future. "I'm manifesting that to happen," he said, adding that he admires how Nani approaches his choice of projects. "He's again that one actor who wants to do different cinema every time he starts a film."

Vishwanath and Sons, Atluri’s latest project, is a Tamil-Telugu bilingual starring Suriya and Mamitha Baiju. The film is set for a theatrical release on August 14. It marks the writer-director’s second collaboration with the same core technical team — production designer Banglan, editor Naveen Nooli, cinematographer Nimish Ravi, and music director GV Prakash Kumar — from Lucky Baskhar.