For someone introduced to Bollywood in the 90s, Madhuri Dixit is a quintessential figure and a benchmark for acting and artistry. Known for her unmatchable dancing skills and easy expressions, Dixit sizzled the screens from the late 80s to early 2000s. She was the ultimate star, a heartthrob who had young boys and men swooning over her. As an artist too Dixit enticed some of the biggest Bollywood producers to cast her, winning the love and support of critics and fans alike.
But had it not been for Netflix (or OTT platforms in general), we would probably have never seen her make a comeback in a lead role, as she does in the new TV series “The Fame Game.” Created by Sri Rao, directed by Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli, and produced under the Dharmatic Entertainment banner, The Fame Game is a Hindi-language thriller that marks the comeback of Dixit and also her once co-star Sanjay Kapoor.
Dixit plays Anamika Anand, an aging Bollywood star struggling to maintain her glamorous image and stay relevant. Her husband Nikhil More (Sanjay Kapoor) is her manager and film producer who is trying to squeeze the most out of her career before it dries up. Anamika is a revered movie star. At home though, she struggles with an introverted daughter, a suicidal son, and a husband who both mentally and physically abuses her.
When her co-star and former lover Manish Khanna (Manav Kaul) comes back into her life, Anamika sees some hope at the end of the dark tunnel. But one day, she just vanishes into thin air from her home. There’s no ransom call or threat and as her family, friends and the police frantically search for her, various truths about her dark life and dysfunctional family surface. The investigating officer Shobha Trivedi (Rajshri Deshpande) is led into a wild goose chase, with the plot getting thicker and thicker.
The Fame Game is a thriller that can be enjoyed with the family, with little of sexual innuendos, gimmicks and physical violence. The screenplay and direction keep the series entertaining throughout. But the series does have flaws. An air of mediocrity hangs around the whole production: The Fame Game is never boring but then it would be a stretch to call it an out-and-out entertainer either.
Dixit has starred in over five dozen films, with a good percentage of them becoming box office hits, but her comeback in The Fame Game feels rusty. While I showered praises for Dixit at the beginning of this review, now comes the difficult part of criticizing her performance. As the main protagonist, Dixit gets plenty of time and opportunity to own the screen, but her performance is inconsistent. In some scenes, she is spectacular, while she looks lost in others. Maybe it is the long hiatus, or transitioning from films to multi-episode series is not sitting well with the actor.
And it is not only Dixit who fails to impress. None of her co-stars stands out. Yesteryears actor Sanjay Kapoor, who has not had a particularly successful acting career, demands a little attention, but that’s probably because expectations do not burden him. The rest of the cast will need to step up their game if there is to be a second season.
Who should watch it?
The acting in The Fame Game is mediocre. Still, writing and direction offer some compensation. If you can enjoy a suspense-thriller without being too distracted by the underwhelming acting, The Fame Game is a good time-pass. And remember, good or bad, it’s Madhuari Dixit we are talking about.
Rating: 2.5 stars
Actors: Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Kapoor, Manav Kaul
Director: Bejoy Nambiar, Karishma Kohli
Genre: Thriller
Run time: 6hrs approx.
