A traditional Indian card game, popular across South Asia, became even more popular and gained global recognition thanks to a successful Indian movie of the same name – Teen Patti. And, today, we will present to you why we love this old Bollywood hit.
A very Indian story but a very universal one…
Teen Patti by Leena Yadav – Genius Professor to Redefine the Principles of Probability
“The film is a taut thriller that’s not only done with loads of style and attitude, it also showcases a fine ensemble cast of youngsters who represent the edginess of today’s youth.” – Times of India
The plot revolves around mathematicians and gambling, the two very interconnected topics that specifically share one thing in common – the need for probability.
A main character Venkat Subramaniam, starred by Amitabh Bachchan, is a genius mathematician, a professor of math and software engineering, who spends his time teaching math to village kids. But Venkat has a secret. He successfully cracked a theory that can redefine the principles of probability. This has great implications for the field of mathematical research, but can also very much affect the practice of gambling.
And, one day he receives the letter… A British mathematician Perci Trachtenberg (played by Ben Kingsley) invites him to a high rolling casino in London, where Venkat explains how his theory could change the dialogue on mathematics for good.
With the help of a younger professor Shantanu Biswas (Madhavan) and three students, Sid (Siddharth Kher), Apu (Shraddha Kapoor), and Vikku (Dhruv Ganesh), in order to test his theory, Venkat tries an experiment playing the old game – Teen Patti. And his ideas turn out to be correct.
Things start to get really interesting when Shantanu suggests they should go out and test the theory by playing the game in casinos and private clubs of Bombay. There’s when the story gets complicated…
What is special about the movie is that it heavily features high-rolling casinos. It’s an interesting insight into how this world works. And those kinds of gamblers – that often bet and reach a high amount of money in deposits – constantly get rewarded by casinos in many different ways – be it through VIP programs, VIP cards, or generous bonuses. One exclusive feature that’s explained on arabianbetting.com is VIP membership tiers, which range from bronze to platinum. All these perks are available to high rollers but of course, only if they don’t use methods such as card counting (or cracking the probability principles)!
Being terribly similar to the famous movie 21, Teen Patti had a pretty unenthusiastic reception from the very start, but one of the reasons why the movie was successful globally was the fact the British star Ben Kingsley has a prominent role in it. Critiques aside, we warmly recommend checking this cinematic piece out.
Sir Ben Kingsley
There is no doubt that one of the reasons why the movie was so successful is that Ben Kingsley is featured in it. You can watch the film on Netflix, most probably because of his role. The famous actor also has a special connection with India.
He was born in Britain as Krishna Pandit Bhanji, to an English mother and a father of Gujarati Indian descent. Not only that, but he also played Gandhi in the 1984 film of the same name. The masterpiece, directed by Richard Attenborough, was filmed in India.
Playing the most important historical figure of modern Indian history, a role that was met with universal praise, was not only a global success, but it also created a special place for Ben Kingsley in Indian popular culture.
In Teen Patti Kingsley plays Perci Trachtenberg, a British man who is widely regarded as the greatest living mathematician. After inviting Venkat to a high rolling casino in London, Persi learns about his mathematical theory and understands that it is essentially trying to answer the question of what is random in life and what is determined by fate. Through their conversations, Persi becomes a catalyst for the rest of Venkat’s story, and the path he sets his foot on. A pretty inspiring role.
And What is Teen Patti Game?
The game, whose name means “Three Cards”, has its origins in the English game called Brag, and is also influenced by Poker.
Teen Patti, a gambling card game, became very much an Indian tradition, connected to Hindu celebrations. It is often played during Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights, also celebrated by Jains, Sikhs, and even by some Buddhists. For most people from India, their first experiences of playing Teen Patti are connected to their family’s social activities.
The game can be played in two ways. In the first one, you use a standard 52-card deck, and in the other one, you add two more Joker cards. The two additional cards are used as wilds. Your goal is to win the best three-card hand and to maximize the pot before the showdown – any hand of a higher category beats the hand of a lower category. If two players have the same combination, the pot will be split between them.
But, in 2010, the movie Teen Patti changed things; it made the game known throughout the world.
Teen Patti movie deals with very Indian topics, such as a traditional Hindu card game and the gambling world of Bombay, but it is also about some very universal subjects. It explores themes of personal ambition, curiosity, but also the deep questions such as what is most important in life and how much of it is determined by destiny, and how much of it can we change with our actions. Together with the role played by Ben Kingsley, this universal quality of Teen Patti is what made it successful.
