Fantabulous!!. Review on Company

There's something about Ram Gopal Varma that excites me. Ever since he made Satya, which took him into a different level as far as creative filmmaking is concerned, he's been in TERRIFIC form, picking up subjects that would be far from ordinary and trying to present it in his own Unique way. Company is yet another offering from this THINKING filmmaker. And to say the least, its BRILLIANT!!!

To be sure, its really VIOLENT and you hear Gun Shots more regularly than even your Heart-Beat. But then, how many movies today dare to be DIFFERENT from the regular Mushy and Geometric Love stories. You can count them on your fingers. Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Aankhen, and a few more. Thats it.

Also, Ram Gopal's Version of the Underworld Operations relies on a balanced mix of Fact and Fiction. Which means, even though there are several incidents in the film which is lifted directly from newspaper articles, there is enough to keep the makers from declaring '' Based on a TRUE STORY'' before the credits.

Company excels in ALL departments of film-making.

The basic requirements for a gr8 film are: Story, Screenplay, Direction, Dialogues and finally, Technical Finesse.

The Direction is, to put it shortly, AWARD WINNING. Ram Gopal Verma does a Fantastic job and the Research as well as the Pains he has taken clearly reflects on the silver screen. Just Check out the imaginative lighting, sets and ACTION Sequences. Needless to mention, the song picturisations are ULTRA JAZZY and shout MTV style. Also, it is solely due to his effort that the Performances All-round are PAR EXCELLENCE.

The Story is loosely based on the relationship between the two Underworld Kingpins, Dawood Ibrahim and Chotta Rajan. But make no mistake, it is the basically the Script and Inventive Direction that makes this movie a THRILLER. The real ICING on the cake is the climax which is MOST SATISFYING for the soul. The screenplay too has many Twists and Turns that will keep one on the edge of their seat throughout.

Dialogues are one of the strong points of the film and they suit the characters PERFECTLY. Like, Mallik is a serious guy and his dialogues need to be subdued without much of yelling, and thats exactly the way they have been written.

Technically, this film is a Milestone for the Industry and for the first time, one can confidently say that we have equalled or maybe overtaken HOLLYWOOD standards as far as TECHNICAL CHUTZPAH is concerned.

So Breathtaking and Slick is the Cinematography(By Hemant Chaturvedi, the same wunderguy who made KBC look cool!) by extensive use of wide-angle lens that the movie looks more like a A-Grade Hollywood product rather than a Hindi movie.

Also, the Editing(By Chandan Arora) is RAZOR SHARP and helps the movie move really fast without ever dragging along at a Snail's pace.

The background score by Sandeep Chowta is another Major Factor which helps Multiply the Tension and Intensity of every shot in the movie. Truly WORLD CLASS Stuff!!!!

Coming to the performances,

Ajay Devgan, playing the role of Mallik Bhai to perfection, speaks volumes through his eyes and looks absolutely Dashing with that moustache and gold all around. Definitely nomination worthy!

Newcomer Vivek Oberoi is the surprise package of the film and plays his character with utmost conviction and comes up with a WHOPPER!!!! Hrithik beware, here's a seasoned performer who knows his strengths!

Mohanlal as Commissioner Srinivasan delivers a power-packed performance and sinks into the role instantly, though some may fins his dialogue delivery little difficult to understand.

The ladies(Antara Mali,Manisha Koirala) don't have much to do but play their parts sincerely.

The supporting cast is equally Superb and they contribute towards the overall impact of the film.

All in all, COMPANY is MOST definitely one of the BEST films of the year and has the potential to go the LAGAAN way. Till then, let's keep our fingers crossed.