Web Series Review: The Fame Game

February 25, 2022 - 6:04 PM IST

THE FAME GAME is the story of the disappearance of a movie star. Anamika Anand (Madhuri Dixit) is one of the celebrated actresses of Bollywood. At one time, she ruled the silver screen. Now in her 40s, her popularity has slightly eroded as the younger lot of actors started getting prominence. She is married to Nikhil More (Sanjay Khanna) and she’s a mother of Amara (Muskkaan Jaferi) and Avinash aka Avi (Lakshvir Singh Saran). Her mother (Suhasini Mulay) and a helper, Lata (Shubhangi Latkar), also reside with Anamika in her palatial residence. Her mother has always dictated every move of Anamika. She’s the one who pushed her into becoming an actress as her mother realized that if Anamika becomes a movie star, their fortunes would change. Shockingly, her mother also gets her married to Nikhil, who’s actually her long-lost cousin, much against the wishes of Anamika. In the present day, Nikhil handles all her finances and they decide to produce a film, starring Anamika in the lead role. An actor named Ajay (Indraneil Sengupta) is signed opposite Anamika. However, she realizes that both don’t share a chemistry. She expresses a desire to replace Ajay with Manish Khanna (Manav Kaul). Their pair at one point was the most loved. They also briefly dated 20 years ago. Manish is a loner and he decides to sign the film when Anamika and Nikhil request him to come on board. As they reunite professionally, the love for each other also reignites. Meanwhile, Anamika is facing a crisis back home. She realizes that Nikhil and her mother have made a mess of the finances. Both Avi and Amara are also struggling due to personal problems. Avi even attempts suicide. One day, Anamika attends an award show. After returning home, she mysteriously disappears. None of her family members has a clue as to where she’s vanished. ACP Shobha Trivedi (Rajshri Deshpande) is assigned the case. During interrogation, all of them have crucial information related to Anamika’s disappearance. However, they all hide it for their ulterior motives. Fans and media meanwhile go on a rampage, speculating as to whether Anamika has been kidnapped or something worse has happened to her. What happens next forms the rest of the series.

Web Series Review: The Fame Game

Sri Rao's story is intriguing and it blends mystery, suspense, thrill and drama in ample doses. Sri Rao's screenplay is a bit stretched and slow in the beginning portions. The writer takes a long time to establish the conflicts and the equation of the various characters with each other. The goings-on become far more interesting in the latter part as the suspense and shocking moments are unveiled. Having said that, a few developments, done for the sake of shock value, do appear a bit childish. Sri Rao's dialogues (Hindi dialogues by Amita Vyas, Shreya Bhattacharya and Akshat Ghildial) are realistic and conversational.

Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli's direction is neat and simplified, though the story constantly moves back and forth. This kind of narrative works as viewers slowly get acquainted with the problems in Anamika’s life and at the same time, are informed about what is happening to post her disappearance. The series touches upon several important issues and the makers tread them very carefully. There’s no needless titillation for the heck of it. The last 2 episodes are the longest and also most interesting as a lot happens in the final 100 minutes. The suspense might be predictable for a few. However, the way it unfolds makes for a great watch. There’s another twist in the last 10 minutes and that also adds to the madness. Several scenes are well executed like Anamika finding out who was leaking the information to the press, Anamika’s first meeting with Manish after 20 years, Avinash’s interaction with the item girl, Amara’s outburst in the college, the stalker landing up into Anamika’s make-up room, etc.

However, THE FAME GAME is not without its share of shortcomings. The initial episodes are slow and lack sufficient drama. The track of the stalker is novel but is not entirely convincing. The same goes for the track of the police. It’s bewildering that they couldn’t find adequate information about how Anamika disappeared from her bungalow, especially when this was such a high profile case. A track of an LGBT couple seemed forced and the series could have ideally done away with it. The ending, though shocking, looks a bit odd in terms of characterization. However, it might work for most as it comes out unexpectedly.

Madhuri Dixit is terrific as Anamika Anand. Whenever the show got boring or dragging, it’s her graceful presence that will make viewers not give up mid-way. Despite being such an intense role, she underplays it beautifully. THE FAME GAME shall surely benefit Madhuri in the long run as it proves that she’s still one of the finest actresses and that she deserves to be seen more, especially in such author-backed roles. Manav Kaul is apt for the part and his chemistry with Madhuri is worth a watch. Sanjay Kapoor plays his character with élan. Muskkaan Jaferi is a big surprise of the show and gives an excellent performance. Lakshvir Singh Saran communicates a lot with his eyes and puts up a fine act. His dialogue delivery is great. Gagan Arora (Madhav) is excellent as the creepy fan. The way he traps a character into falling in love with him seems very convincing, thanks to his act. Rajshri Deshpande leaves a huge mark. Suhasini Mulay is too good and one can’t help but hate her whenever she tries to dictate the rules in the house. Shubhangi Latkar doesn’t get much scope. Makarand Deshpande (Harilal) is good in a small role. Kashyap Shangari (Billy; Anamika's make-up artist) is first-rate. Ayesha Kaduskar (Tabitha) is memorable, especially in her confrontation scene. Danish Sood (Samar) and Paavani Atrey (bar dancer Ruchika) have limited screen time and yet, manage to impress with their performances and well-written characters. Harpreet Vir Singh (financier P K Sharma), Pooja Bharma (actress Jaslyn) and Indraneil Sengupta are decent in cameo roles.

The music is forgettable. The only song that stands out is 'Dupatta Mera', composed by Salim-Sulaiman. Andrew Orkin and Harini Raghavan's background score adds to the mystery element. Manoj Kumar Khatoi's cinematography is appropriate. Amrita Mahal Nakai's production design is a bit dull. Samidha Wangnoo's costumes (for Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Kapoor, Manav Kaul) are appealing. Madhuri’s costumes, especially, are regal and enhance the beauty of several shots. Ratna Dhanda and Jaislin Chona's costumes for the other characters are also fine. Vikram Dahiya's action is realistic. Monisha R Baldawa's editing should have been razor sharp, especially in the initial episodes.

On the whole, THE FAME GAME starts off on an unexciting note and a few developments are difficult to digest. However, the series gets better as it progresses and is laced with a shocking twist in the end. Madhuri Dixit’s outstanding performance also enhances the impact.

Rating: 3 stars