This is miniseries of great Indian gangster movies. This miniseries contains five finest realistically treated gangster movies made in India - Mani Ratnam's Nayakan (1986), Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parinda (1989), Ram Gopal Varma's Satya (1998), Mahesh Manjerakar's Vaastav (1999), Ram Gopal Varma's Company (2002).
Welcome to world of Mumbai underworld. Welcome to the playground for Ram Gopal Varma’s Company (2002). It’s the world where organized crime syndicate called “Company” does its business.
Company is an organization like any other corporate organization that employs people, incurs expenses, conducts business, and makes its profits. Its primary business is crime. Its clients are politicians, film industry, stock market, hotel industry, and real estates. Its work is extortion, contract killing, drug trafficking, smuggling, dock theft, money laundering, matka (gambling), film financing, and prostitution. Its employees are henchmen, murderers, and killers.
Company is an organization that knows no borders, recognizes no taxes, keeping no accounts, uses countries as offices, and uses henchmen as sales persons. It’s an organization that you can join at any time, but never leave. It’s an organization where if you break rules, you will be broken down. It’s a place where friendship, respect, and loyalty are secondary to profits. It’s a place where the only rule is profit and the only enemy is the man who breaks it.
Story
Malik (Ajay Devgan) and Saeed (Rajendra Sethi) are trusted lieutenants of aging Mumbai underworld kingpin Aslambhai (Madan Joshi). As Aslambhai gang’s influence is growing, it needs more man to control the new territories. Malik recruits new local boy Chandu (Vivek Oberoi) with his friends Koda Singh, Krishnan, Mental Warsi, Pappu, and Akram in his gang. Chandu soon earns trust and respect of Malik and quickly becomes his right hand man.
During minor altercation between Chandu and Saeed, seeing it as a right opportunity, Malik wipes out Saeed, his brother Anees, Saeed’s close associates (Sharma, Latif), dethrones Aslambhai, and takes over the reigns of Mumbai underworld. Soon Malik and his associates Vilas Pandit, Yadav, Joseph, Kenkare, and Chandu expand their criminal empire.
As Malik and Chandu’s empire flourishes, Mumbai police commissioner Srinivashan tightens up his grips to corner Malik. Malik soon realize that Mumbai is no longer safe place for him. He decides to legitimize their empire to a very large extent and move their headquarter to Hong Kong. Malik starts running his company from the Hong Kong. He starts handling foreign affairs and let Chandu handle Bombay’s underworld with the help of associates living in Bombay. Soon differences arise between Chandu and the Malik regarding how to run the crime activities.
Due to misunderstandings, Malik and Chandu turn into foe. Chandu swears to destroy the Company and flee away to Kenya. Soon crime business, police, custom, gang members gets divided into two groups. In the process of eliminating each other, large-scale International gang war breaks out. After extensive gang war, Malik succeeds tracking down Chandu. Malik attacks on Chandu but fails to kill him. Srinivashan visits Chandu in Nairobi Hospital and successfully convince him to take his revenge by helping police to destroy Malik’s empire.
Will Chandu and Malik realize their misunderstanding? Will Chandu get succeed to destroy the company?
Analysis
As its tagline says “A law & order enterprise”, Company is a gripping tale of organized crime. It’s a saga of how two close friends becomes vicious enemies and enrage deadly gang wars to eliminate each other. It’s loosely inspired from real life Mumbai underworld don Haji Mastan, his deputy Dawood Ibrahim, Dawood’s protégé Chhota Rajan, and south Indian police commissioner of Dhanushkodi Sivanandan.
RGV’s muted sepia colors, slick camera angles, fast edit makes Company as India’s most stylish gangster drama to date. Jaideep Sahni’s screenplay is real forte of the film. His crowded and complex characterization of dozens of characters with utmost detail is commendable. Some of my favorites scenes are - Chandu convinces his friends that how they will work under Malik in train compartment, Chandu saves Malik from the deadly attack at film party, Malik, Chandu, and Pandit’s formal talk in Srinivasan‘s office, Chandu killing Pandit and calling Malik from the airport to warn him that he is going to destroy his empire, Attack on Chandu in Nairobi, Kannu’s murder in Hong Kong, Chandu killing Home Minister Rahute in jail, and Koda Singh killing Malik in the parking lot.
If you really want to see what RGV can do at the helm of direction chair then check out this scene of the movie - Malik killing Saeed and Anees in rainy day in their car. Just watch how Malik parks his car behind Saeed’s car, After Malik resolves problem with Saeed, RGV keeps viewers inside the building where Aslambhai asks someone to close the window because of unexpected rain then RGV takes us outside where we follow Saeed to his lonely car, Once Malik kills Saeed in his car, RGV shows us Malik driving away his parked car behind the building. This is as good as it gets as far as detailed writing and scene execution for excellent filmmaking.
As far as acting department, Ajay Devgan as Malik is at his usual best. He is calm, calculated, cold-blooded, and vicious. He lets his actions do the talk. He believes in money and power. Devgan is one of most underrated actor in Bollywood. He has won more national awards (for Zakham and The Legend of Bhagat Singh) then total of three big khans – Aamir, Salman, and Shahrukh and that say lot about his acting talent. Seema Biswas as Chandu’s mother Ranibai, Antara Mali as Chandu’s wife Kannu, Manisha Koirala as Malik’s girl friend Saroja, and Akash Khurana as Vilas Pandit are outstanding. Both special appearances of Isha Koppikar in Khallas number and Urmila Matondkar in title sequence are glamorous.
I am not taking anything away from Devgan but real show stealers are debutant Vivek Oberoi and maestro Mohanlal. Veteran actor Suresh Oberoi’s son Vivek Oberoi as Malik’s right-hand Chandu in his debut vehicle is real star of the film. Chandu is from slums. He believes in love. He believes in thing that is more important than money and power. He is unleashed tiger on streets and tamed lion at the home. His violent eyes are definitive, knows no fear, and firmly believing in his own principles without getting afraid of other’s stature. Malayalam legend Mohanlal as police commissioner is class act in his maiden Hindi film venture. His approach to the crime is like doctor’s approach to the patient. He treats crime as like doctor treating disease. His south Indian accent with broken Hindi is truly fascinating.
Sandeep Chowta’s music and background score are electrifying and catchy. His numbers - Aaja Re Tu Gale Lag Ja, Khallas, Aankhon Mein Raho, Ganda Hai Par Dhandha Hai Yeh, and his background themes - A Shot of Company, and Malik’s Soul elevates movie to another level.
Conclusion
I personally consider Company as RGV’s second best movie after Satya. If Satya is harsh reality of underworld, Company is glorified glamour of underworld. If Satya, Vaastav, and Nayakan are saga of rise and fall of gangster, Company is saga of the rise and fall of a criminal empire. It is one of the finest Indian movies of 21st century. It’s a modern masterpiece. A must see.
