Bluffmaster
Director: Rohan Sippy
Music: Various
Year: 2006
Running Time: 137 Minutes
Rating: 6.0
To me, Bluffmaster is a fair representation
of what might be considered the New Bollywood. For the past few years the
industry has been lurching about like a drunken sailor trying to find its
way in the globalized market place. It is a difficult road to navigate as
it attempts to hold on to some of its traditional elements and yet continue
to be relevant to modern audiences. But in doing so it seems to have lost
a bit of its soul. Films such as Bluffmaster are the technical equal of films
anywhere with fine camera work, excellent production values, seamless editing
and solid acting – but in trying to emulate the West on the technical front
they also appear to have absorbed a large dose of their vacuity and indulgent
self-awareness. Many of these new films are certainly entertaining on a superficial
level but all too often they arouse a sense of déjà vu. That
is because if you dig deep enough you can often find an American film lurking
about in the basement that “inspired” the Indian movie. By taking on a lot
of these Western elements and themes the films may appear modern but they
have too often left their hearts on the sidewalk.
Bluffmaster is all of that. Well made,
fast moving and slickly plotted – it has all the personality and warmth of
a doctor’s reception area. If you have seen any of the American films it
appears to have modeled itself after, you will have a fair idea of what is
coming and you just wait patiently for the other shoe – or in this case shoes
– to drop. In the meantime your mind kind of wanders to chores that need
to be done and travel plans that need to be made. It is all very painless
mind you - and at times engaging - but in the end it is so hollow that you
can hear an echo reverberate.
Roy (Abhishek Bachchan) likes having money;
especially other people’s money and he has become a high flying conman that
plans logistically elaborate swindles against the wealthy of Mumbai. He has
everything including a stunning girlfriend in the form of the gorgeous Priyanka
Chopra. After being together for six months with Simmi, he pops the question
and decides to retire from the con business with enough booty stashed away
to keep him dry on rainy days. But disaster strikes during their engagement
party when one of his previous targets shows up and points him out to Simmi
and her family. She breaks the marriage off and Roy begins an emotional descent
to hell.
Later on he comes into contact with two
incompetent street level conmen and almost on a whim takes one of them (Riteish
Deshmukh) on as his student and takes him through a few easy jobs. Roy begins
fainting on occasion and after seeing a doctor (Boman Irani) he discovers
that he only has a few months to live – so when his pupil asks him to help
revenge his father by conning a gangster (Nana Patekar) out of a bundle Roy
figures why not – perhaps one bit of good karma for him before he dies.
There were a few strikes against the film
– the cons were not all that clever actually and in a con movie that is pretty
important – the music falls into the latest hip hop trend that has no interest
for me and there just isn’t enough Priyanka! Priyanka makes my toes curl
and there just wasn’t enough curling going on. Most important though was
that the characters all felt very shallow and the film created no emotional
bond between them and the audience. Many fans of Abhishek prefer this light
charming side of him as seen here and Bunty Aur Babli – but I like him all
glowering and dangerous such as in Yuva. Still the more I see him, the more
I think he is the most promising leading man in Bollywood. Others would disagree.