Corporate

Corporate is Bhandarkar's take on the Indian business world. 2 conglomerates in a battle for a bigger market, profits with attendant egos and personalities...
Net Output: Crapola

“Corruption, the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty.”Edward Gibbon. This quote is mentioned in passing by one of the characters to add some credibility to the “corporate” ness of the movie. There is hardly anything worth noting. In fact one of the few visible signs that the movie is about corporates is the Allen Solly wear. The characterizations are almost like TV serial ones – meant for short snippets, not for the large screen. No depth.

The partner for the movie “Corporate” is Lenovo. However when the all important presentation for Just Chill is being made, the laptop at the head of the table is DELL. Sadly, there are 4 other Lenovo laptops around.

The basic issue with the movie is that it is not crisp. Evidently the business world is not an area of strength for Madhur Bhandarkar and it is clear in the way the characterizations shape up. The playing up of characters is built perhaps on some anecdotal examples that one must have by. Can’t believe that Sunil Alagh, etc who are thanked in the credits could add no real value to the script. Why else would you see a finance minister of a state introduce the head of an investigative agency to the head of a conglomerate? Some story! Whack thoo!

And there is this award ceremony where the compere can’t stop saying Uhvaard, Uhvaard … I can’t take this Uhvaard. Please give it to someone else.

And Kay Kay looks so old when is lolling around with Bipasha. Someone give him some Botox. Else get a fresh hero. Perhaps Samir Dattani could have done this role. Anyways he hardly has anything to say other than sport this really weird, shocked look when they meet Bipasha at the end of the movie! There is hardly anything shocking happening in that scene!

The Friscon company (albeit a fictional one) takes its basis from most recent murky happenings in the Indian FMCG space.

The occasional book lying at Bipasha’s table “Sales Management” and other assorted titles are meant to lend an air of authenticity to the workspace. Anyone with a reasonable amount of experience in the corporate sector can tell you that books are best read outside work. There is rarely enough time to do such stuff at work. Again, evidence of weak scriptwriting.

There is another scene in which Bipasha’s character is reading Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. That perhaps is more believable.

All in all, ORDINARY.
Not worth getting to the theatre thru rain and sitting in front row. Much rather wait and watch on SET MAX or some such channel when they screen it. The ads in between should be more interesting…

Perhaps the saving grace other than the self-mocking Item number is the voice over by Atul Kulkarni.