The Fame Game Review: Netflix's new Hindi series The Fame Game had an incredible plotline in it that is never utilised. Imagine a Bollywood actress who is married and has two teenagers as kids, and yet is hailed as the number one actress in the country. How did Anamika Anand (Madhuri Dixit Nene in an effective casting coup) manage to achieve that miracle in a misogynistic industry? That's the storyline I was truly curious about, though Dharma Productions' web-show had other ideas mashed in. Like the disappearance of the said actress right before the release of her supposed comeback film. Yo or Hell No? Madhuri Dixit Nene as Anamika Khanna for 'The Fame Game' Promotions.

Now you may ask if Anamika is the numero uno actress in the country, why it is  told that she making a comeback? Shouldn't she already be busy in the movies? We hear that her last few films hadn't done well, so how did she maintain her ranking? How close is she to the real-life Madhuri persona considering we see scenes of her old movies, including Kalank (ugh!)?

We know how Bollywood works, and how short-termed the memory is here. Even Madhuri herself, despite being a reigning queen for years, failed to retain that box office pull near and after her marriage. Unfortunately, The Fame Game seems to be very confused about how it wants to set its protagonist. On one hand, the series, headlined by Sri Rao and Karishma Kohli, keeps telling she is at the peak of her popularity, and then we also hear that she is struggling with her movies.

Chalo, leave aside this inconsistent aspect of the show and let's get to what happened to her. One night, Anamika Anand disappears from her house, not even taking her phone and purse with her. The family suspects she is kidnapped, the police believe she could be murdered.

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The investigating officer, played by Rajshri Deshpande, believes each of the family member is hiding something about the case. The self-centred and abusive husband (Sanjay Kapoor) has been profiting on Anamika's movie career, putting all his stakes on the new movie. Her mother (Suhasini Mulay) is a dominating bully. Both the teenage kids (Muskkaan Jaferi and Lakshvir Saran) have their own set of problems, and they blame their mother's fame for that. Because apparently, the singular common trait of teenagers in Bollywood movies and shows is to keep blaming their parents, whatever the cause may be.

There is also Anamika's favourite co-star and once lover Manish Khanna (Manav Kaul), with whom she is reuniting after 20 years for their new movie, who still hasn't gotten over his feelings for her. Anamika also has a stalker fan (Gagan Arora), who keeps following her everywhere.

The Fame Game dissects their relationships with her, and especially how her 'fame' has a part to play in how these equations turn out, while trying to peel off the layers to discover who is the real culprit behind the disappearance. The plot has promise, and the presence of Madhuri Dixit Nene and Sanjay Kapoor -  the Raja jodi -  in an equation quite opposite to what they had in the 1995 film adds further interest. OTT Releases of the Week: Kangana Ranaut’s Lock Upp on MX Player, Sanya Malhotra’s Love Hostel on ZEE5, Madhuri Dixit's The Fame Game on Netflix & More.

The Fame Game, however, is quite a shallow drama that has some engaging moments here and there, but overall doesn't elevate itself into the top ranks, despite the presence of one of Bollywood's finest actresses and backed by a topmost banner. It is good to look at - Dharma products wear that aspect to their hearts - and the performances are satisfactory enough.

The mystery around Anamika's disappearance is what is supposed to drive the series, but it is the family (melo)drama that takes the front seat here. A smart storyteller would have allowed the past to be unfolded through the investigations. But The Fame Game puts the viewer through the flashbacks that comes out at any moment rendering the police investigation part almost inconsequential.

Would have forgiven this storytelling trope if those scenes made for some fantastic drama. Instead what we are served is some kitschy stuff on First World Problems, some ludicrous writing (the whole stalker subplot felt silly... how could he get so easy access everywhere?) and moments that don't really pay well. Even most of the characters feel paper-thin, despite the show's flimsy attempts to give them depth, like the husband ruing about living under the wife's huge shadow, or the lesbian cop struggling to prove herself in a sexist department. But without giving room to breathe, these qualities merely end up being on surface-level - the husband continues to be an unsympathetic ass, and the cop is monotonous. Even the teenagers fail to acquit themselves, despite plenty of scenes allowing them to expand their arc, but never improve their characters.

The one thread that I end up somewhat liking was Anamika dealing with the complexities around her life, and the emotional distress that they cause her, which she silently bears. Madhuri Dixit's enigmatic performance proves to be an asset in these scenes, where her silence show her resilience but her eyes betray anguishness. I also loved Anamika's equation with Manish - one relationship that at least has some depth, and Manav Kaul is really effective in the role. So it is annoying that the rest of the drama around Anamika pale very much significantly in comparison. Sanjay Kapoor's presence in the show reminds us how Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has more to offer as masala when it comes to tackling fame. At least that show was a guilty pleasure. Here, there is no pleasure, only guilt about staying with the series till the very end and then wishing you had watched Sailaab instead! Which is my guilty pleasure Mads movie!

Yay!

- Madhuri Dixit Nene

- Manav Kaul

- Anamika-Manish Scenes

Nay!

- Shallow Character and Shallow Motivations

- Inconsistent Writing and Pacing

Final Thoughts

The Fame Game benefits hugely from the presence of Madhuri Dixit Nene, but doesn't utilise her and the industry she thrives in to narrate a compelling story. The show has some engaging points, but the flimsy material, dollops of melodrama and a weak investigation track let it down. The Fame Game is streaming on Netflix.

Rating:2.0

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 25, 2022 03:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).