C Kkompany (2008) - Review in English

In this film, Sanjay just performs the title song.

About the Story: Akshay Kumar (Tusshar Kapoor), Lambodhar Jha (Rajpal Yadav) and Ramakant Joshi (Anupam Kher) are living in the same house and facing the same problem – they are losers in life. Akshay is in love with Priya (Raima Sen) who is to be married to another guy by her brother, gangster boss Dattubhai (Mithun Chakraborty); to elope with Priya, Akshay lacks the money. Lambodhar suffers from his shortness which makes people not taking him serious, even his family despises him for not having the kind of job they want him to have. And Ramakant has been exploited financially by his son. To regain this money, the three friends invent an extortion gang called C Company. As Ramakant’s son promptly falls for this trick, they try it again when the shanty where Ramakant’s friend Sadashiv Pradhan (Dilip Prabhavalkar) lives in is to be demolished by a builder. Even this coup succeeds – and from this moment on the C Company is swamped by pleas from helpless people while Dattubhai tries to trace these unwelcome rivals to his business...


C Kkompany was a pleasant surprise for me. In times of shrill, loud and often really brainless comedies, this film keeps an enjoyable low profile. Too bad that nevertheless some things went wrong, from the permanent background noises I could see no sense in to a scene towards the end where a simulated shootout is used to cause a panic on a fairground – I simply don’t see the funny point in playing jokes with people’s fear for their lives; I didn’t like it in Shaadi No. 1 and I don’t like it in C Kkompany either.

More interesting I consider the idea that an alleged underworld gang, managing by just one phone call what government and bureaucracy don’t (want to) manage in months, rises to Robin Hood fame in the eyes of the people – to an extend that there are public disputes about whether these people really are considered to be criminals rather than revolutionaries. Where are the boundaries between legal and illegal, righteous and criminal, good and evil? And considering the fact that the "criminals" are getting all the sympathies, you have double reason to contemplate: Does the end really justify the means? And how big must the "good guys'" failure be that the "bad guys" can achieve such a status at all?

Sachin Yardi chose for the C Company members three average looking guys "like you and me", and thank God none of them falls prey to the temptation of overacting. Rajpal Yadav is splendid, especially when he, with rising self-confidence, turns into a snappy little terrier. Quiet routinier Anupam Kher is likeable as well as Tusshar Kapoor. Dilip Prabhavalkar, the unforgettable Gandhi from Sanjay Dutt’s kult film Lage Raho Munnabhai, is convincing in the small but nice roll of Pradhan. Heroine Raima Sen has hardly as much to do as the guest stars Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt as TV show hosts. Even producer Ekta Kapoor as Head of Balaji TV does a guest appearance in a scene with Mithun Chakraborty whose Dattubhai simply loves Balaji tele soaps. As long as Mithun plays his role as a funny figure, it’s okay, but he should not try playing the dangerous looking don. Even though using a Vaastav outfit (white kurta, golden chains) and Billa’s eyes from Musafir (one brown, one blue), he simply fails to achieve the same impact which a Sanjay Dutt easily makes by his mere screen presence.

Talking about Sanjay: He sings and acts in the title song where the three main protagonists are presented – a clip which is repeated once more during the end credits. This guest appearance was Sanjay’s gesture of friendship to Balaji Motion Pictures (his new production banner is planning some coproductions with), and Ekta Kapoor and her CEO Ramesh Sippy expressed their thanks at the beginning of the opening credits with "Special Thanks For His Love & Support – Sanjay Dutt". As a seasoned routinier, Sanjay performs a humorous-cool clip which is like the film itself: no sensation, no masterpiece, but something you easily can watch several times without regrets.

Produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor; Directed by Sachin Yardi
133 Min.; DVD: Eros, English Subtitles (including songs)
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