| Cast: |
Ajay
Devgan, Vivek Oberoi, Manisha Koirala, Antara
Mali. |
| Director: |
Ramgopal Varma. |
| Producer: |
RBoney Kapoor |
A
saga of two friends - Malik (Ajay Devgan) and
Chandu (Vivek Oberoi) - the story travels from
the streets of Mumbai to Hong Kong and then Nairobi.
Malik
is a trusted lieutenant of an underworld don. He recruits
Chandu in the gang when the 
activities
begin to expand. Differences between Malik and his
colleagues surface when Malik starts siding Chandu.
Malik
decides to take the reins in his hands and together
with Chandu, starts running the 'company'. Later,
they shift base to Hong Kong and start remote controlling
their men from this foreign land.
But
a misunderstanding turns the two friends into foes.
In a bid to achieve supremacy, they decide to eliminate
the other. Malik stays in Hong Kong with his close
associates (Manisha Koirala, Ganesh Yadav, Rajpal
Yadav), while Chandu shifts to Nairobi.
The
dangerous game of death begins!
This
is the second time that Varma is attempting
a film of this genre, after SATYA, and like his previous
attempt, COMPANY also underlines a message
that is loud and clear - Crime never pays.
The
initial reels are easygoing. The storytelling is ordinary
and the pace is just about okay. But the film gathers
momentum once the two friends decide to run the 'company'
together. And the narrative gets even more interesting
when the friends turn foes.
The
best thing about the film is that it catches you unaware
at several paces. Just when you start thinking 'What
next?', comes up an incident that wobbles you completely.
The
post-interval portions are even more captivating than
the first part. This part focuses entirely on the
enmity aspect, with subtle doses of emotions attached
to the characters so that they don't become one-dimensional.
Ajay's
sequences with Manisha and Vivek's with
his wife (Antara Mali) and mother (Seema
Biswas) subsequently are brilliantly executed.
The climax is unconventional, but just right keeping
the graph of the film in mind.
Directorially,
Varma takes you to a world that is much-discussed
and has become a part of our everyday life. One identifies
instantly with the goings-on. Picking up incidents
from newspaper and television news headlines, the
narrative gives the viewer a microscopic view of how
the mafia functions.
The
director's contribution is visible in several sequences
in the film, like -
-
Ajay
and Vivek corner their colleagues in
the car and shoot them at point blank range;
-
The
sequence in the Commissioner's (Mohanlal)
office, when the Commissioner questions Ajay,
Vivek and Akash Khurana soon after the shoot
out at a studio;
-
The
misunderstanding that results in the friendship
going kaput and Akash Khurana's murder;
-
Ajay's
blood-thirsty men entering Vivek's hideout
in Nairobi in a bid to eliminate him;
-
Manisha
and Antara coming face to face in a shopping centre;
-
Vivek's
telephonic conversation with his mother, wife and
brother-in-law from the hospital, where he is undergoing
treatment;
-
Antara
rushing to Hong Kong and the subsequent scene with
Ajay and Manisha when she points the gun at Ajay;
-
The
culmination of Ajay's character...
-
If
at all the viewer feels slightly letdown, it's on
two counts -
-
One, the post-interval portions tend to get a bit
too heavy, with no relief in the form of light moments;
-
Two,
absence of songs in the film. The film boasts of
just one song - the immensely popular 'Khallas'
- while the remaining songs form part of the background.
Mohanlal
is excellent as the tough cop. His South Indian accent
gels well with his role. His scenes with Vivek Oberoi
towards the latter part of the film are refined. Manisha
Koirala doesn't have a meaty role, but she expresses
herself magnificently through gestures. She looks
the part she plays. Antara Mali is superb. Playing
a completely deglamourised role, she makes her presence
felt in a male-dominated flick.
Seema
Biswas is outstanding as Vivek's mother. Akash
Khurana is effective. Bharat Dabholkar, Rajpal Yadav,
Ganesh Yadav and Vijay Raaz support well.
