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Company
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'Company'

By N K Deoshi
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Talented director Ramgopal Varma makes an emphatic comeback with the gritty crime thriller titled “Company” starring the dopey-eyed Ajay Devgan, Nepalese beauty Manisha Koirala, newcomer Vivek Oberoi and the south Indian superstar Mohanlal in the leading roles.

At the center of the film are two characters Chandu (Vivek Oberoi) and Mallik (Ajay Devgan).

Chandu

aka Chandrakant is a street pauper who lives in a dingy and congested kholi somewhere in the slums of Mumbai. And Mallik, on the other hand, works as a trusted henchman of a Mumbai underworld don. He is a man hardened by the scourge of harsh realities.

Chandu’s life undergoes a drastic change after Mallik recruits him to look after his nefarious deals. With the money earned from crime Chandu moves from his claustrophobic shanty into an opulent and spacious bungalow along with his mother (Seema Biswas).

Soon Chandu becomes Mallik’s trusted and favorite sidekick. Together they start a company to further extend their activities and excel in the underworld. Both of them are deadly, fearless and completely callous about death. They wouldn’t blink an eye before shooting their enemies point blank.

Things hot up after the relentless Mumbai cop Srinivasan (Mohanlal) gets on their trail. As a result the duo shifts their base to Hong Kong and move there with their ladyloves (played by Manisha Koirala and Antara Mali respectively). They continue to operate their company from afar through their henchmen.

An unexpected turn comes in the story after a misunderstanding crop up between Mallik and Chandu and turns them into arch foes. Each one begins to stalk the other for his life. That’s when the dead bodies begin piling up. Meanwhile Chandu shifts his base to Nairobi. Mallik’s men chase him there to his hideout in a bid to kill him. But Chandu somehow survives the attack. Now he stalks Mallik!

What happens next? Who will win and survive this bloody battle – Chandu or Mallik? Will police inspector Srinivasan be able to put an end to the shady activities of company?

Presented by Boney Kapoor and Ashwini Dutt jointly “Company” is fast paced and has a very sleek look. Mafia murders in the film are very realistically shot and it almost gives you goose flesh to see the guts splattering. Also prominent in the film is the fowl and tapori language of the leading characters.

The film takes a candid look at the lives of men in the underworld. While on the one hand it paints them as gun-totting villains who walk the thin line between life and death, on the other, it shows their humane side too. The emotional moments between Chandu and his wife, and Mallik and his girlfriend are well conceived.

Besides, Varma has extracted commendable performances from his star cast. Newcomer Vivek Oberoi, the son of Suresh Oberoi, occupies the maximum footage in the film and justifies his role with what looks like a meticulously worked-out performance. He certainly has a tremendous potential to play myriad roles before the camera. Antara Mali’s portrayal of Chandu’s guilt-ridden wife is equally impressive

Ajay Devgan’s role in “Company” suits him perfectly. He looks dashing and deadly playing the underworld don. And Manisha Koirala stands up to him in equal stead convincingly playing Devgan’s moll with an addiction for chain smoking.

Mohanlal’s imposing and dominating demeanor makes him the perfect choice to play the tough Mumbai cop in the film. His puns and one-liners in the film are quite witty.

Thankfully, the film does not have any romantic numbers that show the hero and heroin jiving around the trees. “Tumse Kitna Pyar Hai” and “Aankhon Mein Raho” are heart-stirring songs while Isha Koppikar’s item number “Khallas” chips in for the oomph quotient. Sandeep Chowta’s music and background score is captivating.

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