Language: Hindi
For a Bollywood obsessed nation, can there be a more compelling reality drama than the disappearance of a superstar? Creator Sri Rao’s eight part series (Netflix) is built on this thesis.
The Fame Game is squarely meta. Not only is a 90s superstar playing an ageing actress clinging on to her fame, fans and fortune, but Madhuri Dixit’s songs and movie clips are those of Anamika Anand, a mother of two who mysteriously disappears one night. Anamika dances in the streets with her fans to ‘Channe ke khet mein’, scenes from Kalank play on TV sets, fans refer to her 1000 watt smile.
The show opens crisply with Anamika Anand going missing. The next day, the family is confused, the cops are called and a media frenzy follows. Intercutting the present day with the six months leading up to the incident, the story reveals the truth of Anamika's seemingly perfect life, delving into the complexity of her relationship with her teenaged children, her ambitious and pushy mother (Suhasini Mulay), her emasculated husband Nikhil (Sanjay Kapoor) and co-star Manisha Khanna (Manav Kaul).
We are aware of behind the scenes stories of young girls being pushed to work and support their family from an early age, with mothers becoming managers, or at least puppeteers. We have heard about obsessive fans – represented here by a boy called Madhav (Gagan Arora). Anamika's life is about these, and also about lost love and lack of agency. Her angst is captured by the line, “All these roles… daughter, wife, mother, actress. I am tired. I want to live life on my own terms.”
The soul of this series lies not in Anamika’s star behaviour, external interactions, talent or façade. The Fame Game hits the high notes when it explores Anamika’s interaction with her children Avi (Lakshvir Saran) and Amara (Muskkaan Jaferi), who are experiencing their growing pains as star kids harbouring their own desires and ambitions.
Most effective when it is confined to the family drama, and least effective as a crime investigation which is steeped in judgement with very little police work and a lot of thinking and waiting.
The screenplay takes some questionable detours, such as a scene of intimacy between two highly dysfunctional teenagers interjected in the middle of a major investigative breakthrough.
Like the layers of makeup that hide the lines and blemishes on an actor’s face, the veneer and gloss are slowly stripped off this family. Directors Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli use Bollywood mounting of scenes, with high-speed shots, lush interiors, designer wear and drama at every corner. The jerky series, which front-loads on ‘issues’ from mental health, to body shaming, nepotism and the complexity of being a star kid to sexual orientation, has the right window dressing -- rich jewel tones, immaculately turned out characters, gorgeous homes and some strong performances. Kaul as the hurting star Manish Khanna, Saran as the son specially connected to his mother (look out for the scene when he addresses the media), Arora as the crazy fan boy, Rajshri Deshpande as the investigating officer who overcomes her own prejudice and believes even when her superior officers do not, and of course Madhuri Dixit, steady an undulant ship.
Dixit does it all. She sings, dances, lights up the screen, steps out of the spotlight to face her reality, gets wounded but recalibrates and comes out stronger, especially to protect her children. As all of Anamika’s avatars -- strong, sensitive, charming, smart, superstar, friend, lover, mother and daughter -- Dixit is riveting and beguiling.
The Fame Game is available on Netflix.
Udita Jhunjhunwala is a writer, film critic, and festival programmer.
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