Post by : Meena Ariff

Ajay Devgn's portrayal in Ram Gopal Varma’s gangster film Company has garnered significant praise. Yet, RGV disclosed that Shah Rukh Khan was the initial choice for the part, expressing keen interest in the story.

In his explanation, Varma stated, “My first choice was Shah Rukh Khan. I presented the story to him, and he showed interest. However, I felt that Shah Rukh's vibrant energy might clash with the character's essence. Malik is meant to be a more composed, introspective persona. I believed asking Shah Rukh to tone down his natural charisma would do a disservice to both him and the project.”

He continued, “There are different kinds of actors: those who perform and those who embody their roles. I think it’s crucial for actors like Shah Rukh to remain authentic, and placing him in a different mold wouldn’t fit. Ajay's calm demeanor made him the perfect match for the role, which led me to ultimately choose him. I realized during our meeting that it wasn’t going to work out with SRK, though I didn’t disclose that at the time.”

Varma mentioned that right after his interaction with Shah Rukh, he promptly called Ajay Devgn to confirm his casting. Initially, Abhishek Bachchan was under consideration for the part of Chandrakant “Chandru” Nagre, but due to scheduling difficulties, the role was eventually given to Vivek Oberoi.

Company, penned by Jaideep Sahni, features an ensemble cast including Mohanlal, Ajay Devgn, Vivek Oberoi, Manisha Koirala, Antara Mali, and Seema Biswas. It serves as the sequel to RGV’s earlier gangster film, Satya (1998). The movie achieved commercial success, earning ₹25.02 crore against a ₹9.5 crore budget.

Looking towards the future, RGV is gearing up to collaborate with Manoj Bajpayee on a horror-comedy titled Police Station Mein Bhoot. He teased, “When scared, we approach the police for help, but who do the police turn to when frightened? After a tense incident, the police station turns into a haunted place, making the officers flee from the resurrected gangsters' spirits.” Further details regarding the cast and release date remain undisclosed.