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Game**1/2
*ing: Anupam Kher, Abhishek Bachchan, Jimmy Shergill, Boman Irani, Shahana Goswami and Kangana Ranaut
Directed by Abhinay Deo
Tagline: It’s not over till it’s over

 

When it comes to films starring Abhishek Bachchan, one is somewhat wary. Often times it’s because despite the hype, many (if not most) of AB Junior’s films turn out to be duds. For every Yuva or Guru, there is a Raavan, Bus Itna Sa Khwab Hai etc.



Having said that, it must be said that Game did look appealing. For one thing, it isn’t a regular Abhishek Bachchan film. Plus it comes from Farhan Akhtar’s banner that has a history of producing modern and entertaining films.

Our introduction begins with some key players through a series of meetings set by Kabir Malhotra (Anupam Kher). A billionaire who resides in Greece, he writes a letter to four people and invites them to his private island under the pretext of helping them with their various problems.

Abhishek Bachchan comes in from Turkey as Neil Menon, a casino owner in some serious debt from loansharks who are lethal as they are dangerous.

Vikram Kapoor (Jimmy Shergill) comes in from Mumbai as an actor with a deadly secret (namely murder) and three back to back flop films. With his career on the low, Jimmy takes the offer from Kabir Malhotra and comes to Greece with the hope that his career will eventually fly from some help from the tycoon.

The third player is OP Ramsay (played superbly by Boman Irani), Prime Ministerial candidate for Thailand. A corrupt politician to the core, PM comes in to protect his seat in power. Hoping to gain some cash from AK, he too arrives to the secluded island.

And finally there is Tisha Khanna (Shahana Goswami), a journalist who drinks too much and has no real credibility.



Once the four players arrive, Kabir Malhotra reveals his real reasons for inviting them. And that is getting them arrested for the death of his daughter. But before he can prove their guilt through some evidence, Kabir Malhotra dies. What looks like suicide turns out to be murder. And so enters Kangana Ranuat as Sia Agnihotri a member of International Vigilance Squad (IVS). She begins her investigation and so begins the chase.

During the first half of the film, the plot thickens quickly. The frames move quickly and we travel to Istanbul, Mumbai and back to Greece in quick succession. It’s thrilling and exciting. One reason is perhaps because the plot is hard to decipher and predict. And that really makes a difference, especially if the flick is dealing with the genre of thriller.

But it’s the second half where the film looses momentum and completely changes gear: from a smart urban thriller it delves into a typical Bollywood film where there can be no gray shades to the star of the show. In this case, it’s Abhishek Bachchan. You’ll have to watch the film to understand fully what I mean.
From an acting viewpoint, the real star is Abhishek Bachchan. He looks suave and cool and plays it so. As a casino owner, he has shades of nasty grey but Abhishek plays it so well. Neil Menon is neither a good guy nor bad. He walks somewhere in the middle and Abhishek walks that line like a complete pro. The script doesn’t do his performance justice.

The other actor who is absolutely brilliant is Boman Irani. As a corrupt politician who will do anything to get to power, he is delightful to watch. Boman really makes you hate his guts and he does it conviction and class. 

Kangana Ranuat is adequate in most scenes. Jimmy Shergill once again proves that he is a great actor, desperately in need of some meatier roles. His role is relatively small but it is significant. As an actor obsessed with successes, Jimmy’s Vikram Kapoor is brilliant.

Ultimately, Game loses points because of its script. What started out as an interesting and entertaining film eventually slows down and becomes predictable. Game falls short of being edgy. And that is its biggest flaw.

– Maheen Sabeeh