BOTTOM LINE
A Snooze-Fest of A Crime Thriller
PLATFORM
ZEE5
RUNTIME
1Hr 53 Mins.
What Is the Show About?
In Manali, a suspended IPS officer, Sikander (Arjun Rampal), accidentally hits two friends, Vicky and Shaan, with his car. When Vicky, a local cafe owner, goes missing from the hospital, Sikander helps Shaan search for him, only to get entangled with his estranged wife and fellow cop, Yamini (Priyamani), in a game of betrayal, a missing fortune and deadly criminals.
Performances
None of the performances really land. Arjun Rampal is an actor with limitations and needs a team that knows how to work around them. Otherwise, his supposedly suave, cold persona can feel like a chunk of wood. Priyamani stays focused in a limited role, but the character has neither context nor a backstory. She is far too good a talent to be wasting herself in random outings like these. Others, including Nakul Sahdev, Rohit Chandel, Shayank Shukla and Noyrika Bhateja, look too listless to salvage the film from its mediocrity.
Analysis
Of late, ZEE5 has become a dumping ground for films that have been lying in the cans for years due to financial troubles, censor issues or the lack of big names to secure a theatrical release. The long delayed Blind Game, headlined by Arjun Rampal and Priyamani, joins this list.
Blind Game is an aimless thriller that frustrates the viewer with its helter skelter narration. It begins with a suspended cop trying to unravel the conspiracy behind a cafe owner’s apparent suicide in a hill station. Just as the clouds around the case begin to clear, a slew of obnoxious twists arrives towards the end, only to tell us, ‘We fooled you all along.’
The film has too many subplots that simply do not add up. There is a henchman who claims to work for a mafia baron whose identity remains unknown. A suspended officer keeps helping his wife solve a case. Several layers beneath an apparent cover up around the suicide are clumsily unravelled as the narrative progresses.
Who are these characters? What do you know about them? Why does their story matter? There is absolutely no clue. Every second character leads a double life and engages in vague conversations. There are accidents, bitter fights, chases and huge bags of money, yet none of the threads make much sense.
Every now and then, the film tries to blow its own trumpet by raising the stakes of what appears to be a simple case. Arjun Rampal, with his trademark bass voice, speaks in a hushed tone to appear stylish and suave. There are discussions about a crime syndicate and a fake currency scam, but the people involved behave like aimless goons in a local suburb.
There is some curiosity around the case, at least until the horrendous revelation arrives in the last hour. If the very idea of a crime thriller is to serve up a stale story about two best friends falling for the same girl, what is the point of it all? There is no urgency or conviction in the filmmaking. It feels as though the team lost interest in the project midway.
The sad part is that none of the elements in the film are remotely believable. Sikander looks far too tired and weary to pass off as a suspended cop. The friendship between the missing cafe owner and his pals never manages to evoke any warmth. There is no proper detailing of the mafia backdrop or the fake currency scam.
Apart from the leads, Arjun Rampal and Priyamani, there are hardly any familiar faces to distract you from the film’s absurdities. Every other character feels like a prop, with no real personality or purpose. The Manali setting, as picturesque as it is, barely adds any texture or novelty to the weak, wafer thin plot.
Blind Game is a passionless, flat thriller blinded by its eccentric plot turns, with precious little going for it.
Music and Other Departments?
There is not much on the technical front to keep a frustrated viewer engaged. The background score has little scope to add value to the narrative. At best, the cinematography works to an extent, capturing the scenic beauty of Manali across several real locations. Editing is one of the film’s biggest problems. There is absolutely no fluidity to the storytelling, and the film feels like a random bunch of scenes stitched together.
Highlights?
Bits and pieces of the first half.
Drawbacks?
Vague story
Passionless execution
Zilch emotion and poor twists
Did I Enjoy It?
Not at all.
Will You Recommend It?
Unless you are an insomniac looking to put yourself to sleep.
Blind Game Zee5 Movie Reviewed by M9 News
