The Fame Game Review: Captivating Story For Its Thriller Side, Prompting The Viewer To Continue Episode After Episode
Directors: Bejoy Nambiar, Karishma Kohli
Cast: Madhuri Dixit Nene, Sanjay Kapoor, Manav Kaul, Muskkaan Jaferi, Lakshvir Singh Saran, Suhasini Muley
Streaming Platform: Netflix (click to watch)
Filmyhype.com Rating: 3.5/5 (three and half star) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
The Fame Game Review: One of the great advantages of Netflix, the streaming platform with the largest catalog ever, is that of giving the viewer the opportunity to see titles from all over the world. In fact, one of its objectives is to give space to stories well rooted in the socio-cultural context in which they come to life but which can also be appreciated by those coming from completely different places. It is precisely in this perspective that the platform makes available among its titles The Fame Game, an Indian series immersed in a reality of that country that exerts a certain charm – for what little we know of it – even here with us: Bollywood, the very glossy cinema made up of love stories, drama and an infinity of musical numbers.
As we will see in this review of The Fame Game, these are some of the ingredients at the center of this series, to which is added a thriller to be solved and a rather accentuated thriller component. The protagonists of The Fame Game? Some Bollywood stars – played by real actors and actresses of this Cinema – who tell us about the dark side of the fame they have laboriously conquered. To complete the picture, the two directors Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli also come directly from Bollywood and bring their particular point of view into the story.
The Fame Game Review: The Story
Anamika Anand (Madhuri Dixit Nene, a Bollywood star who has appeared in more than seventy films), is a famous actress from Mumbai, who is about to finish yet another film after a thirty-year career. Her co-star, Manish Khanna (Manav Kaul), is also an old love of her, but left many years ago after a very troubled affair. After an important award ceremony, however, the woman suddenly disappears without a trace. Her husband (Sanjay Kapoor), her mother (Suhasini Muley), and her beloved children Avi (Lakshvir Saran) and Amu (Muskkaan Jaferi), find themselves having to move on without her, who was the pillar (and only source of income) of their lives, while the police try to find out what happened and hope to find her still alive.
The more we continue in the vision, however, the more the apparently perfect life of the woman crumbles: detail after detail we discover how Anamika hid numerous problems from the eyes of the world, from the violent husband to the disturbances of her children to the discovery of her own sexuality and their place in the world. Who was it that kidnapped her? And what do the members of her family have to do with her disappearance? The Fame Game drags us into a fascinating narrative full of twists, not without flaws, but still engaging enough to attract the interest of our local public, perhaps not particularly accustomed to the stylistic features of Bollywood cinema that this story is full of.
The Fame Game Review And Analysis
The Fame Game is in fact a Bollywood story in all respects, both because it is set within this particular film industry, and because we find some of those elements that – although we are not experts on it, we admit it – seem to characterize it: stories dramatic and troubled love, glossy and luxurious settings and various musical numbers (the trick in this case is to insert some footage from Anamika’s film). The Western viewer will find himself dragged into a distant world that is undoubtedly fascinating but could be confused at times: the acting in certain moments too over the top, some exaggeratedly long and exasperated sequences and a montage between past and present perhaps a little confused. they might also discourage in viewing.
There are many themes that the series inserts in the various episodes, trying to talk about family ties, the discovery of one’s sexuality, the importance of following one’s dreams and getting away from the cumbersome shadow of those who came before us. Some of the storylines are well detailed and developed, while others are not given the space they deserve: a shame, because some of these had piqued our curiosity.
Barring the name of the web series ‘The Fame Game‘ and its music, everything is first class in this series. This is the new scale of Madhuri Dixit’s performance. While playing the character of a heroine who won by heart, many times it seems that she has become the form of the same heroine whose personal life is very similar to the story of this series. I wish Madhuri had got such a film on her comeback. There is a scene in which the actor, who became a superstar after getting an opportunity to work with Anamika 20 years ago, is showing his rage. In that scene, what Anamika says in her make-up van near her ear, it can be understood just by looking at it. And, in this scene, the weakness of Manav Kaul also comes to the fore. He tries his best to match Madhuri’s ability step by step but Madhuri is Madhuri. Those who have closely watched the world of glamor know the truth of the dialogues of this series ‘Films gawati more hai aur kamati kam hai’. Because, the same is the case with those who work in it.
And, Yeh Sab Mumkin Hua Hai is patiently directed by the series’ directors Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli. Both have shot the series with a lot of deposits. As rainwater gradually collects in a vessel kept under the open sky, the effect of this series also increases in the same way as episode by episode. Karishma also has a lot of art direction and costumes in this series. This is Karan Johar’s real compensation for the audiences who were disappointed with Dharma Productions’ last film ‘Gehraiyaan’. The series is also according to the branding of Karan Johar’s grand cinema. The weak link of the series, if any one department is called, is its music. Songs like ‘Dupatta Mera’ only weakened Madhuri’s comeback in films. It is fortunate that in the series made as an emotional suspense drama, the audience does not get much attention on the music. Compared to the film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ released along with it, ‘The Fame Game‘ has a huge upper hand.
The Fame Game Review: The Last Words
The Fame Game is a captivating story for its thriller side, prompting the viewer to continue episode after episode to uncover the mystery behind Anamika’s disappearance. We must admit that the solution found surprised us and we did not expect it, but it is a pity for the slightly too long times with which everything takes place, dragging ourselves and dragging ourselves into a narrative that is at times a little verbose and excessively dilated.
