Na biwi, Na bacha, Na baap bada na maiya, the whole thing is that bhaiya sabse bada rupaiya fills the screen and you, for a moment, believe hey, that’s right man. Magar for how long? So, X’mas eve, post dinner, was spent watching bluffmaster, for whom money is everything. And to sport this love for money, he’s ably supported by one of the most adorable word ‘lies’.
Bluffmaster directed by Rohan Sippy gives us a movie that helps you forget the real world for some time and enjoy the fun. It’s interesting to watch how people get conned. Or simply put, cheated on love and emotions. The movie also gives a subtle hint at to how people get bluffed all the time in real life too. Bluffmaster in the real sense is nothing great to bluff out. It’s a mix of right things and wrong things. But, like I said before, helps you have some good fun time. Great one liners, controlled acting, excellent digs at some leading TV soaps, two good songs (one at the opening credit and the second at the closing credits) gives a jolly good ride.
Bluffmaster is about a person called Roy (Abhishek Bacchan), a very urbane, intelligent, guy whose life revolves around money and good things in life. He cons people to support his lavish life-style. Just take a look at his apartment facing the half of Mumbai (travel to Churchgate on a local train and just as you approach Mumbai Central, u can see this stand alone structure of at least, I guess, 30 floors). His one true love is Simi (Priyanka Chopra) and she falls for him, thinking he’s a stockbroker and they get engaged. Unfortunately for Roy, Simi’s uncle (Tinu Anand) happens to be a film producer, whom Roy had conned long time back. His game is out and Roy forgets joy for a moment.
Simi is shattered. In the meantime another conman named Dittu (Ritiesh Deshmukh) a very dumb, funny and a chalta hai type person cons a Doctor Bhalerao (Boman Irani). Roy intervenes and saves the doctor. Dittu is agitated but looks up to Roy and wants him to be his guru. In the meantime, Simi wants to give him the benefit of doubt and love angle again sweeps Roy across the ocean of love (now you need some place to add those songs and dances). All this helps Simi realize that Roy is a total waste of time. Next Roy is diagnosed for Brain tumour and now has only three months to live. Dr. Bhalerao explains to him the fundas of life and how to live life to the fullest. Dittu wants Roy to help him teach a gangster Chandru (Nana Patekar) a lesson as he robbed his father of a great amount, which made his dad not recognize his own son. Emotions fill the screen and Roy is all hell bent to help Dittu. Roy is also upset in the way Chandru once tried to molest her when she approached him for a job. In the meantime, Simi comes to know of Roy’s health and her heart melts. And our hearts starts beating faster.
Confusions, kidnapping, chasing galore, crores are exchanged and Chandru in true business style bumps of Roy from a tower. Period. The plot ends. But, Roy lands up on a life saving bed and as he walks through meets the same people in a different situation. And smiles that he’s been bluffed. So are we.
Coming to the cast and performance- Abhishek is first rate with his deftly styled mannerism as a conman, a lover boy, and as a dying soul. Priyanka Chopra had very little to do, but did her best. Ritiesh Deshmuk has moved up in his performance, he’s too good and is sure that some very powerfully written roles will take him a long way. Nana Patekar, the best of all, is awesome. Just look at the way he essays his role with total panache. Take a look at the scene where’s he is worshipping himself and the last scene with an umbrella. Booman Irani (as Dr. Bhalerao) had a very limited part, but was not that mind blowing. I loved his performance in the Loo scene with Abhishek. Keep your ears open during that scene. The Music is tangy at times. The photography is very laudable, you get to see Mumbai in a better perspective.
Overall Bluffmaster does some justice to the 2003 Ridley Scott movie Matchstick Men, starring Nicholas Cage, Alisoan Lohman, Sam Rockwell.