Making a whodunnit is not everyone’s cup of tea. It takes skill and ingenuity to keep the audience both guessing and on the edge of their seat. Only a few Hindi filmmakers have been able to pull this off, from Vijay Anand’s Teesri Manzil to Jewel Thief and Raj Khosla’s Woh Kaun Thi? and Mera Saaya to Raja Nawathe’s Gumnaam. And, of course, in the recent past, Rajiv Rai’s Gupt.

Debutante director Abhinay Deo’s Game, on the other hand, fails to impress. It is definitely not a memorable experience. The screenplay is not tight; the soundtrack disappoints; and the dialogue, by the otherwise-talented Farhan Akhtar is a big disappointment.

If the theatrical trailer led you to believe this would be a slick flick with stupendous shots, the film itself is a let-down. Barring a few sequences, the rest is huge downer.

A successful whodunnit builds anticipation from the very first frame; there must be one or two twist before the interval, another major twist post-interval and, finally, a shocking finale. But Game opens to a run-of-the-mill (read obvious) beginning… an accident. You’re led to believe someone is dead. To add a twist to the tale, there’s another murder followed by the mandatory cat-and-mouse game.

About the storyline… Game is about four strangers – Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Shahana Goswami and Jimmy Sheirgill – who have been invited by a reclusive billionaire, Anupam Kher to his private island of Samos in Greece. (akin to 1965s’ Gumnaam and 1980s Shalimar)

All four guests are from diverse backgrounds – Abhishek runs night clubs, Boman is a politician, Jimmy is a Hindi film superstar and Shahana is a crime journalist. The reason they are the ‘chosen invitees’ is revealed later, followed by a murder that has each one of them as a suspect. Oddly enough, the police allow them to leave the island. Thus, one chapter ends but another begins, which then forms the crux of the film.

Surprise! Surprise!! Killer’s identity is revealed soon enough, in a dialogue by Anupam Kher – if you listen carefully. Now all you need to do is corroborate your suspicion. At the climax, you feel like congratulating yourself as you stand corrected. But every whodunnit needs a trail of subtle clues and an intricate web of deceit, which are completely absent in Game.

Also, the character of the main lead, Abhishek Bachchan, has not been adequately developed. His motives are fuzzy. His decision to take the law into his own hands is unconvincing. And the ease with which he takes his revenge makes you feel, “If only it was this easy!”

Kangna Ranaut, an investigative officer, hasn’t a clue to what’s going on! Then there’s Abhishek Bachchan’s friend who’s constantly advising him. Just who is he and what’s the connection? The film shuttles between past and present, and though the urban audience may be able to understand this, the masses will not. Also, the frequent use of English will not go down well with the front-benchers.

However, there are few scenes, which are nicely executed. One is the chase between Abhishek Bachchan and the police and the Kali martial arts fight sequence. The locations are breathtaking but have not been exploited or presented well. This despite the film’s expensive price tag.

Music plays a vital role in every whodunnit but in Game, not only does the music fail, so does the picturisation of the songs. Even Ram Sampath’s background score doesn’t work. So while the action is good, cinematography is alright. Abhinay Deo should have worked much harder while writing and executing them.

This may not be Abhishek Bachchan’s best performance but it is praiseworthy. Though the script is weak, he tries his best to make the film an entertaining experience for the audience. Kangna Ranaut is miscast and it appears as if she is actually disinterested. However, she does offer some comic relief, especially when she speaks in English. Sarah Jane Dias, who is making her debut, appears camera-friendly and is good for a first-timer. Anupam Kher, in a brief role, is impressive. Boman Irani and Jimmy Sheirgill are good. Shahana Goswami doesn’t have a meaty role. Gauhar Khan needs to take care of her make-up, especially towards the climax.

Verdict: The film has not taken a good start and judging by the response, its prospects look bleak.