Ram Gopal Varma initially offered 'Company' to Shah Rukh Khan
What's the story
In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma admitted that he had initially offered his gangster drama Company to Shah Rukh Khan. The actor was also interested in the project. However, after one meeting with Khan, Varma decided to cast Ajay Devgn instead. The film also starred Vivek Oberoi and Mohanlal in lead roles.
Casting decision
This is what Varma said about Khan
Varma said, "My first instinct was to cast Shah Rukh Khan. I went and narrated the story to him, and he was interested." "But I somehow felt Shah Rukh has this natural body language, very energetic, he's like a live wire." "The idea of Malik's character was that of a subtle guy, laid-back...cold-minded when he's thinking." "I thought SRK's natural energy would go against that. To (cast) Shah Rukh still would be an injustice to both him and the film."
Acting styles
'Shah Rukh should be left to himself': Varma
He added, "I think there's a performing actor and then there's an actor. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but it's just a different style of acting." "A guy like Shah Rukh should be left to himself. I think directors trying to make him fit into a different kind of character won't work." "But Ajay was naturally suited for that role; he's very calm. That's when I decided to cast Ajay instead."
Casting process
Abhishek Bachchan was 1st choice for Chandru
Varma further revealed that he called Devgn on the same day after leaving Khan's house. He also revealed that Abhishek Bachchan was his first choice for the role of Chandrakant "Chandru" Nagre, but due to his busy schedule, Varma opted to cast a newcomer and selected Oberoi. Company, written by Jaideep Sahni, was the second film in Varma's gangster trilogy after Satya (1998). It was a commercial success, earning ₹23 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹8 crore, per Sacnilk.