The Fame Game, a Netflix series featuring Madhuri Dixit, is a tricky secret.
The Fame Game is directed by Madhuri Dixit and stars Madhuri Dixit as Anamika Anand, a prominent Bollywood actress who goes missing one evening.
The Fame Game keeps both of its promises. To begin, the Netflix series developed by Sri Rao justifies its title. As a convoluted mystery surrounding the disappearance of a prominent actor, a pulpy perspective on what it takes to become renowned in Bollywood is served up. Second, in her streaming debut, Madhuri Dixit is well-served by The Fame Game.
Not that we're learning anything new about celebrities' dark sides. We get the cliches we already know with celebrity life across eight 45-minute episodes: affairs, stalkers, financial concerns, domestic problems, troubled childhood, the works.
But it's all wrapped up in a screenplay by Rao and co-writers Shreya Bhattacharya, Akshat Ghildial, Amita Vyas, and Nisha Mehta that's incredibly entertaining. Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli, the directors, get top-notch performances from their star and a cast of interesting characters that surround her.
Anamika Anand, a Bollywood diva who goes missing after an awards ceremony, is played by Madhuri Dixit. As police officer Shobha (Rajshri Deshpande) investigates the case with a noticeable hatred for the Bollywood milieu, the episodes jump back and forth in time, revealing a little about Anamika's life in the past while clouding her present. As she learns more about Anamika's past, Shobha's dislike for the flash and glamour of Hollywood gradually transforms into a grudging and warm respect for her.
Is Anamika, however, the person she wants Shobha – and the viewer – to believe she is? Her kind demeanour is initially perplexing. Her marriage issues, property problems, damaged relationship with her children, and so on are plainly bothering her. On the job, it's logical that she smiles and keeps going. But it's difficult to comprehend how she hasn't lost it in private.
We see why Madhuri Dixit, still has it when her character bares her fangs in the final few episodes.
Lakshvir Saran and Muskkaan Jaaferi, who play Anamika's unhappy, angst-bitten children, give the series' other two key performances. In a number of moments, these young actors go one-on-one with Madhuri Dixit and hold their own admirably.
Saran plays Avi, a character with his fair share of serious problems, including a tumultuous connection with his mother. Saran's acting as Avi is one of the more touching portions of a series where the most of the characters are deceptive or out of their depth.
Amara, played by Jaaferi, has mommy issues as a result of her desire to be as popular and desired as her mother, yet having to live in her shadow. Jaaferi's character evolves from lovely to nasty in a slow-burning manner, which is pretty interesting to watch.
Lakshvir Saran in a shot from the show The Fame Game.
In The Fame Game, the pain imposed on children as a result of their parents' behaviour plays a significant role. Suhasini Mulay plays Anamika's overbearing mother, and her relationship with her is important to the tale.
Anamika's mother is a complete jerk who forced her daughter to work in the film industry when she was only a teenager. She has had complete control over Anamika's life and profession since she was a child, and she has no intention of relinquishing it. She is unmistakably the lady of the house.
Nikhil, Anamika's unscrupulous movie producer husband, is played by Sanjay Kapoor, who reunites with Dixit after 25 years. In Lust Stories, Kapoor reprises a character from the excellent Dibakar Banerjee short film. Nikhil may be both honest and slimy at the same time. He has a shady relationship with Anamika's money, frequently keeping her in the dark about his investments and spending. The mother-and-husband team is enough to drive Anamika insane.
Then there's Manish (Manav Kaul), a movie star with whom Anamika used to be romantically involved. Manish reappears in Anamika's life months before she vanishes and is named as one of the suspects. Even though he's divorced, the actor still craves for Anamika. He also suffers from mental health issues. Manish is a very watchable and well-rounded character thanks to Kaul. Makrand Deshpande appears late in the season in an intriguing position that I'd like to learn more about in the second.
The score by Andrew Orkin and Harini Raghavan is one of the best I've heard in a web series in a long time. However, the bar had already been set low. Anamika's dances are choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant.
It's lovely to see Madhuri Dixit in her environment again, but the dance routines are minor details in the series' films and aren't worth getting worked up about. The writing is what ultimately makes The Fame Game work, as much as Madhuri Dixit's star power and charisma, bolstered by outstanding supporting performances, carry the show. It left me wondering what would happen to Anamika and how the storey would turn out.
The Fame Game is a web series.
Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Kapoor, Manav Kaul, Lakshvir Saran, Muskkaan Jaaferi are among the cast members.
Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli are the directors.
