The Fame Game is streaming on Netflix
- Movie Name:The Fame Game
- Critics Rating: 3.5 / 5
- Release Date: Feb 25, 2022
- Director: Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli
- Genre: Drama
The Fame Game on Netflix takes the dysfunctional family trope and packs it with suspense and drama, making it an enjoyable and binge-worthy series. Madhuri Dixit stars as Bollywood heroine Anamika Anand whose disappearance has set tongues wagging within and outside the film industry. Even as it is established that the search for the celebrity is the main hook of the story, through non-linear storytelling, the show unveils the dark secrets of the Anand family hiding in plain sight. In the midst of the flashing cameras on the red carpet and the fans waiting to get pictures with them, the Anands are well bonded but behind closed doors, the masks come off.
Nikhil More (Sanjay Kapoor) has shot for his upcoming film Hasrat with Anamika, his wife, and Manish Khanna (Manav Kaul) in the leading roles. However, days before its release, Anamika goes missing under unexplained circumstances. The Police begin their investigation and in the coming episodes, we get to peek into a Bollywood star's life behind the arc lights.
Here, Anamika is a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her husband. Her mother, played by a brilliant Suhasini Mulay, keeps her under her thumb and dictates her life's trivial and important decisions. Anamika's two children Amara (Muskkaan Jaferi) and Avinash (Lakshvir Singh Saran) keep inviting trouble. At her work, Anamika struggles against the younger and the upcoming actresses in the industry and tries hard to hold on to her fame. What we witness are several professional and personal aspects of a celebrity's life that account for her emotional highs and lows. Madhuri Dixit, who is making her web debut with The Fame Game, does good justice to the various shades of her character. At the onset, she seems timid, but as she begins to free from the shackles, we see a fierce and fearless Anamika. Madhuri gets all the notes correct in her portrayal of a beleaguered woman.
Additionally, Sanjay Kapoor as Nikhil has also done tremendously well in portraying the insecure man who lives under his superstar wife's shadow. His scenes with Madhuri have a palpable sense of tension and as unpredictable as he is, Sanjay lends the right mood and tone to Nikhil. Manav as Manish is shown to be bipolar. At the start of the show, you may wonder why he is behaving in a certain manner. As his diagnosis is revealed, we realise how tactfully he has got under the skin of his role.
The Fame Game does well in setting up and delivering confrontational scenes. The brimming tension sees release only at key moments and you are not prepared for what may happen next. In keeping the cards close to the chest, the show's makers succeed in delivering thrills in good proportions throughout the eight-episode run. One aspect that does not sit well for it is the verbose dialogue play. Some scenes are invested too much in explaining the emotions of the characters through unrequired words. This hammering down of the information may bore you.
The Fame Game is a family show. It is not invested in justifying the themes but touches upon them and makes sure they reach a logical conclusion. The mood and tone of a secluded star's family are dug deep into and what emerges is a satisfying family thriller that is binge-worthy. Netflix may have a sleeper hit on its hands.
