I'm Game review: Game not over yet for Dulquer Salmaan in Mollywood

Director: Nahas Hidhayath

Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Mysskin, Kayadu Lohar, Shyamarasad, Vinay Fort, Kathir, Antony Varghese Pepe, Jayasudha

The movie's first 20 minutes seemed like another sombre attempt destined for collapse. However, a genre shift in the latter part of the first half upended the whole mood and placed the movie in a safe zone. ‘I’m Game’ marks Nahas Hidhayat’s sophomore directorial and Dulquer Salmaan’s long-awaited return to Mollywood after three long years.

Plot:

Dan runs an IT firm in the bustling corporate avenue in Hyderabad. Though he inherited the firm and the riches from his father, Dan loathes his work and rather dedicates his time to trying his luck in gambling. A spendthrift, Dan's carefree lifestyle had made it common for goons and criminals to walk into the office and assault him in front of his employees. In a bid to pay back his debts, Dan, a cricket aficionado, believes he would hit the jackpot betting on a CPL match between Mumbai and Madras. Things don’t go according to his plan, and a fatal road accident follows. Dan's right hand has been crushed by a truck. Doctors suggest a transplant from a donor. Life is never the same for Dan again.

The beginning of the movie felt like another run-of-the-mill ‘opulent’ story but soon shifted momentum through an impeccably crafted genre shift. Midway through the first half, the movie felt indeed like a homecoming for Dulquer back to Mollywood. A paranormal arc and Dulquer’s solo fight scene at the end of the first half must arguably be the zenith of the whole three hours.

High-octane action sequences often tire audiences after a while, and the sound would almost seem intolerable. However, Nahas, in his collaboration with Anbariv and Supreme Sundar, carried out a fine work that never bores the audience. Though the second half and the introduction of Antony Pepe brought a freshness, it didn’t quite work effectively to match the moments the first half produced. Nahas, known for his previous action flick RDX, employed his talent to anchor the movie to a safe landing despite facing turbulence in the second half.

Film editor Chaman Chacko was clever with his cuts to weave the final output into something interesting. Jimshi Khalid of the Khalid brothers filmed the movie, capturing the opulence and pomp effectively.

Dulquer Salmaan returns to Mollywood and effortlessly plays Dan, the spoiled rich kid. It is not a challenging role to essay for an actor who was away from Mollywood for the last three years. Dan might be the first of many attempts by Dulquer to try soft humour, which suited him well.

Mysskin walked in as a tough antagonist and had his moments. Though in the later parts, his character morphed into a joke and thus took away the villain aura. Kayadu was decent as Isha, the physiotherapist, though her superfluous love angle with Dulquer didn’t make any sense and rather looked like a tired plot from a 2005 movie. Antony Varghese anchored the second half of the movie along with Kathir, who did a convincing cameo role. It was also a joy to watch veteran actress Jayasudha returning to Mollywood.

Final word:

A great shift in genre that might have worked wonders if not for an unimpressive second half. Dulquer walks away from his comfort zone to become Dan. A welcome change indeed. With its well-crafted stunt scenes and impressive genre shift, I’m Game is entertaining at times and may do a fine business at the box office.