Badmaash Company Review

What is it all about?

`Badmaash Company' is a film about guys in haste who wanna smell money as soon as possible, the movie has a `real' feel to it. Efforts can be seen in first timer Parmeet Sethi's attempt which is more authentic towards being a drama which ironically runs on a handsomely budgeted thriller lane that `steals' the movie's prospects to be a crowd-pleaser.

The Story..of course

`Badmaash Company' is set in the 1990s in middle class Mumbai, of four ordinary youngsters (Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Meiyang Chang and Vir Das), who came together to start an import business of things longed for by yuppie Indians. What made their venture such a stupendous success was the fact that they found a way to beat the system and soon became the undisputed kings in their business, realizing their one dream of making quick money is by doing all the wrong things the right way.

Living the life of champagne wishes and caviar dreams, the four friends discover that to make a business successful, you don't need big money. All you need is a big idea. All is well and hunky dory till one day the four maverick entrepreneurs are forced to shut shop.

What to look out for?

Having the identifiable emotions of today's youth, `Badmaash Company' is ruled by Shahid Kapoor as you can easily make out there's a genuine love of performing behind it. Shahid makes a true honest attempt to lit up the film, fails but manages enact a character with a rich psychology. Proving that he can find the shadings in every hue.

Anushka looks pretty and her chemistry with Shahid is striking. Meiyang Chang has the zing while Vir Das is quite impressive. Anupam Kher and Kiran Juneja along with Pawan Malhotra are competent as ever.

Dialogues are entertaining, some truly spectacular shooting in Bangkok and USA where the scenes between the gang is likable.

Musically not a bad selection of tunes by Pritam Chakraborty. The movie has superb production values.

What not?

Despite all the fun, however, the thorny questions raised by the debutant con flick which borrows real life incidents like the `Madras Bleeding' of the 60's, the home loan scam in America which pulled its economy down and the import strategy of Indian importers etc to make a `con' movie. The absence of innovations and creativity in the con which is the genders basic requirement is it major drawback. The writer doesn't pen con on his own for the film and on top of that this gang is never in news or discussions in police headquarters that kills the excitement of the audience who starts believing that nobody is bothered whether this guys steal or they fight the ignorance of this basic factors in a con movie is troubling. The wealth, power, and privilege that allow Shahid to effortlessly trade it in for a new con down the line are given a free pass.

`Badmaash Company' idea might be of scamming, fast bucks, self inventory, friends, wealth and friendship which starts with a voice over that makes it feel like an autobiographical drama, all this mistakes and the little regard for suspense or audience sophistication needed in a con movie and the last 30 minutes... repeat 30 minutes during the second half where unnecessary.

Conclusion: Go if you really must.

Rating **