'Bank of Bhagyalakshmi' movie review: Small-town heist falls short

What would happen if 'Peepli Live' met 'Inside Man' in rural Karnataka? 'Bank of Bhagyalakshmi' follows a gang of misfit thieves attempting a final heist near Hosadurga during election season, a setup that hints at chaos but never gains real momentum.

The heist unfolds in perhaps the emptiest bank ever filmed, with the gang wearing animal masks bought from a balloon vendor. Dheekshith Shetty's Kanaka, or Tiger, leads this unlikely group in what he calls a Rubbers (read Robbers) job. Soon the gang is trapped inside, and the question of whether they escape or get caught takes over, while local politicians keep their own secrets tucked away in the same building.

Dheekshith pushes hard, but it often feels like he is carrying the film alone. The rest of the cast offers brief sparks, though Gopalkrishna Deshpande and Bharath G B are underutilised. The bank looks more like a government office, and the film leans on exaggerated and uneven humour to fill the gaps. The story has intent, but the execution shows more cracks than the bank's terracotta facade. The music misses, the camerawork captures rural life well, the editing is slick, and the production design never convinces.

With elections in the backdrop, the chaos inside the bank spills outward, quietly satirising how a small-town mishap grows beyond its walls. But intention alone cannot steady the film. 'Bank of Bhagyalakshmi' has a sharp premise and brief sparks, yet the uneven execution keeps it from landing. A modest effort that shows potential but never rises.