Unveiling Bollywood Secrets: Ram Gopal Varma Confirms Shah Rukh Khan as Original Star of ‘Company’ Before Ajay Devgn!
Ram Gopal Varma’s Casting Twist: The Untold Story of Company
In a recent tête-à-tête with Siddharth Kannan, iconic filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma revealed a juicy slice of Bollywood history that has us all buzzing. Once upon a time, during the development of his 2002 gangster classic Company, Varma’s first thought was to cast none other than the reigning king of romance, Shah Rukh Khan, in the role of Malik. However, after a singular, pivotal meeting, our maestro switched gears and ultimately chose the brooding Ajay Devgn.
Varma, with his characteristic candor, shared, “Initially, I envisioned Shah Rukh as Malik. He was intrigued as I spun the tale, but I couldn’t shake a feeling. Shah Rukh’s energy-so electric, so vivacious-seemed at odds with Malik’s essence: a cool, calculating mastermind. To see Shah Rukh subdued would feel like casting a lion in the role of a house cat.”
He deftly distinguished between the two actors’ approaches, saying, “There’s the performative and then there’s the pure. Shah Rukh is a force of nature. Directors pushing him into cold corners risk dimming his brilliance. Ajay, on the other hand, exudes calm-a natural fit for the role.” Just like that, one fleeting meeting was enough for Varma to realize the casting conundrum. He exited Shah Rukh’s abode, dialed Ajay, and sealed the deal with the kind of swiftness one might expect from a Bollywood heist!
Company not only marked the dawn of a new narrative in Indian cinema, grossing a staggering Rs 25.02 crores against a modest budget of Rs 9.5 crores, but it also marked Mohanlal’s grand entry into Hindi films. With Vivek Oberoi stepping in as Chandru after Abhishek Bachchan lost out due to prior commitments, the film became a critical darling, solidifying Varma’s gangster trilogy.
And what’s next for this visionary? A tantalizing collaboration with Manoj Bajpayee titled Police Station Mein Bhoot. The storyline unfolds like a classic horror-comedy, where our brave policemen, previously the pursuers, become the prey of supernatural forces following a spine-chilling encounter. As Varma teased, “When fear strikes the police, to whom do they turn? What happens when a haunted police station makes the tough guys flee?”
With details of the cast and release still cloaked in mystery, anticipation surrounds Varma’s return to the genre that conquered the silver screen.
And there you have it, our beloved Bollywood tale, now infused with the very essence of intrigue and a sprinkle of scandal!
Original Story https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/ram-gopal-varma-reveals-shah-rukh-khan-first-choice-company-casting-ajay-devgn/
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