JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Not Ajay Devgn, but Shah Rukh Khan was the first choice for Ram Gopal Varma’s Company?
RGV's Company (2002) is a crime thriller led by Ajay Devgn, Mohanlal, and Vivek Oberoi in the lead roles. However, it seems that the director was initially interested in casting Shah Rukh Khan.
Company is one of those cult-classic gangster films that revolutionized storytelling in Indian cinema, serving as a follow-up to Satya (1998). However, it appears that Ram Gopal Varma was initially interested in casting Shah Rukh Khan in a lead role instead of Ajay Devgn.
Was Shah Rukh Khan set to play lead role in RGV’s Company?
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Ram Gopal Varma revealed that he had originally wanted Shah Rukh Khan to play the role of N. Mallik in Company. However, he later reconsidered his choice, feeling that Shah Rukh's naturally energetic personality wouldn't suit the character's cold and composed demeanor.
RGV explained that his first instinct had been to cast SRK and that he had even narrated the story to him, to which the actor showed interest. However, the director felt that the superstar's lively and dynamic body language would clash with the subtle and laid-back nature of Mallik's character. He believed that trying to suppress the actor's natural energy would be unfair both to him and to the film.
He further remarked that, in his view, there are "performing actors" and "actors," emphasizing that neither is superior but that their styles are simply different. According to him, Shah Rukh Khan is someone who should be allowed to express himself freely, and directors attempting to confine him to a different kind of role might not succeed.
Varma also added that Ajay Devgn was naturally better suited for the part because of his calm personality. He concluded that after just one meeting with Shah Rukh Khan, he realized the casting wouldn't work, although he hadn't told the actor at the time.
Interestingly, RGV revealed that he had initially considered Abhishek Bachchan to play Chandu, but due to the actor's unavailability, he went ahead with the then-debutant Vivek Oberoi.
More about Company
Company (2002) is a crime thriller starring Ajay Devgn, Mohanlal, and Vivek Oberoi in the lead roles. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, the film tells the story of Chandu, a henchman of a gangster named Malik, with whom he forms a strong rapport that eventually falls apart due to rising tension between them.
ALSO READ: House tour of Vivek Oberoi’s Dubai Villa worth over Rs 60 crore: R Madhavan visits for Diwali party
