Company

2002 · India · 155 min

Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Screenplay: Jaideep Sahni
Music: Sandeep Chowta
Cinematography: Hemant Chaturvedi
Editing: Chandan Arora

Cast

Antara Mali

What it is about

Chandrakant Chandu Nagre enters Mumbai's criminal underworld, learns the trade and wins the trust of Malik, the gang's leader, who comes to rely on him. Over time, the bond between them frays as suspicion and clashing interests grow inside the organisation, while the police watch the conflict from the outside.

How it was made

Varma drew on his conversations with Haneef, a former aide of Dawood Ibrahim who had spent five years in prison, and on press reports about the feud between Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan. Research he had gathered for Satya but could not fit into that film, particularly on police procedure, found its way here. Shooting took place in Mumbai, Mombasa, Nairobi, Hong Kong and Switzerland, with Hemant Chaturvedi as cinematographer and Chandan Arora editing.

Reception and legacy

Critics responded positively, and the film was a commercial success, grossing 25.02 crores against a budget of 9.5. It won six Filmfare Awards, including Best Supporting Actor and Best Male Debut for Vivek Oberoi. As the second part of Varma's gangster trilogy, it is often named by critics as one of his finest works.