CORPORATE- The Movie

Those of you, who go crazy about Madhur Bhandarkar’s movies, would feel like banging your heads on the wall after watching CORPORATE. It is the noted director’s gibe at the Indian corporate culture. A tad bit of fact and a plethora of fiction combined, CORPORATE can be called at best, a khichdi of the good, bad and ugly sides of the corporate sector.

The film showcases the rivalry between two corporate houses, the Sehgal Group and the Marwah Group. It centres on Nishigandha Dasgupta (played unconvincingly by “aamader meye”, Bipasha Basu), a young, ambitious career-woman who has high-profile achievements under her belt. She is beautiful, educated and a successful woman who has reached the top by dint of hard work. She is the role-model of many young women who try to walk in her shoes. But how far is she practical in her professional life? Pathetically impractical! Her degree of commitment to work can be gauged from the fact that she muses about screwing her boyfriend while attending a high-level board meeting!

And her boyfriend is an earthy male named Riteish (played with venom by Kay Kay Menon), who is the brother-in-law of her boss (Oops! Did I tell you that she works for the Sehgal Group?). This man has a noble heart and a helpful nature, but he lacks business acumen. He is blessed with the Midas’ Touch—whichever company he handles turns bankrupt! Yes, you have got it right: he is a failed businessman.

Nishi and Riteish make a perfect couple, for they both are emotional fools of the highest order. Nishi plays the modern day version of a Sati-Savitri: who will give her everything for the sake of her man, even the credit of a path-breaking report she sedulously prepares. But hey, don’t under-estimate this girl! She also uses sex to lure a rival honcho to extract professional secrets from him. Riteish is also a perfect maryada-purushottam, for he cares two hoots about his brother-in-law’s reputation when it comes to protecting his girl from harm.


The film is also tells perfectly how a greedy, unprincipled and lecherous man is always likely to be a politician. Don’t believe me? Go and check out the character of Gulab Rao Ingle, a wily customer…err…minister. And you will also get to know how a rich man can make astronomical profits in business by holding the padukas of a spiritual guru.

The film flaunts a lot of weak points. There are some unnecessary scenes in the movie. The “Sikandar” song by Kailash Kher was out of place in the movie, and the cameo by Payal Rohatgi did not go with the story. The love-making scene between Kay Kay and Bipasha really made me uncomfortable. I was expecting a bold performance by the Bongshell. But she disappointed me! All throughout the scene, she closed her eyes, with an expression that read, “Hey, take this brute away from me! Why is he doing it too much?” I guess she was not comfortable with Kay Kay (since John Abraham is her man). Madhur bhai, I hope you were following her expression during the shoot! You have a penchant for making stuff appear real, but you should understand that the realistic portrayal sometimes brings in the real emotions in the actors. I am now convinced that Bipasha didi is a real-life Sati-Savitri (Dino Morea was only a Ravan).

Nevertheless, the film has got a star-studded cast. Kay Kay Menon is fabulous. Harsh Chhaya as Naveen Shroff convincingly plays the role of an ethical businessman who is not willing to sacrifice his principles for profit. Rajat Kapur as Anil Sehgal and Raj Babbar as Deepak Marwah, play their characters with a vengeance. Minissha Lamba and Lilette Dubey play side-roles in the movie (I feel they could have been utilized more in the film).

A spectre is haunting India: the spectre of corporatism, my friends. Watch this movie to be haunted!