Released this summer, ‘The Casino – My Game, My Rules’ is a thriller web series that tells the story of the heir to a multi-billion-dollar casino, who becomes embroiled in family politics and in-fighting over the course of ten first-season episodes.
Star protagonist Vicky finds himself hooked into a trap set by his father’s manipulative mistress. And though at first he is reluctant to take control of the casino, he quickly learns he must fight back to protect his family’s honor and legacy.
In this article, we will explore the impact of the series on Indian audiences and the wider TV and film landscape, as well as unraveling some of the intricacies and ingredients behind the overall concept. Could ‘Casino’ set a trend that the rest of TV and film in the region will follow?
A unique narrative
The first thing that stands out from this series is that it offers a unique perspective on a popular cultural theme. Production of Casino is Indian, with filming taking place in Nepal, the story being told in Hindi and the show released to Indian audiences on Zee5.
Of course, there is scope for Casino to be exported to overseas markets, but its uniqueness in the industry cannot be overlooked. The overall theme of gambling is typically associated with American and western culture, with the betting and casino industry in South Asia still very much being incubated.
But the show tackles the theme with confidence, succeeding in intertwining a complex storyline into proceedings that implicate numerous antagonists and protagonists as the episodes advance. The performance of Karanvir Bohra, in particular, is impressive while appearing effortless.
The Casino Trailer: Karanvir Bohra, Mandana Karimi, and Sudhanshu Pandey play the deadly game of power, deception, and love@KVBohra @manizhe @sudhanshu1974 @ZEE5Premium
— glamsham.com (@glamsham) May 11, 2020
Link – https://t.co/jgxu7JxhmA#glamsham #TheCasino #KaranvirBohra #mandanakarimi #sudhanshupandey pic.twitter.com/gofRn7kais
Casino in film and TV
As we have mentioned, the casino theme in film and television is almost as old as the media themselves. Perhaps most famously, casinos and high-stakes gambling provide a recurring backdrop for the James Bond series of films.
It is in the casino that Bond first utters his now-legendary line “Shaken, not stirred”, while games like baccarat, backgammon, roulette and poker provide a classy backdrop for a sophisticated cast of characters – that includes the bad guys, too!
But it isn’t just 007 and his tuxedo who you’ll find at the card table. The casino can deliver a similar impact across film and TV, conveying luxury and wealth, while also helping to deliver suspense and drama. The theme is rarely more prominent than in the film 21, named for the number players seek to achieve in a classic game of Blackjack. Blackjack is a perfect game around which to base a movie thriller as it is suspenseful, with success and failure often separated by a single snap decision.
21 was a box office success, overcoming critical controversy from some quarters around its casting choices. Whether you’re playing blackjack in Vegas or battling live dealers in online casinos, you quickly discover why the game is the perfect match for movie-making.
The start of a new trend?
Online casinos shed even more light still on the relationship between TV and film: in addition to the table games mentioned above, when visiting a casino online the array of slots and variety of themes is certainly eye-catching. But, even outside of India, we’re seeing Indian motifs pop up in games such as Bollywood Story. Does this suggest Casino could well have appeal the world over?
Although Casino is not the first Indian film or TV show to feature gambling, it provides perhaps the most prominent example of the theme in action. And the initial success of the first series suggests that we could see a new trend emerge. For decades, Bollywood has been a melting pot of culture, with western themes around sport, celebrity and even crime borrowed to conceptualize new titles. Gambling may be less established in Indian day-to-day life, its upward trajectory is apparent.
With such an array of casino gaming already on our screens, it’s no surprise to see series like Casino emerge in markets where the industry is emerging. And, as the gambling industry in India leaps even further forward, it’s likely we’ll see more films borrow the theme as part of their plot.
