Actor
turned
debutante
director
Parmeet
Sethi
made
a
startling
confession
on
my
show,
a
few
days
ago.
He
said,
he
had
completed
the
entire
script,
with
dialogue,
in
six
days
flat.
I
was
apprehensive
initially,
but
not
once
does
Badmaash
Company
give
you
the
feeling
that
it's
a
hurried
job
or
the
debutante
writer-director,
in
a
bid
to
start
his
first
film,
had
left
blanks
incomplete.
The
earth
provides
enough
to
satisfy
every
man's
need,
but
not
every
man's
greed.
The
adage
holds
true
for
the
youth
of
today,
who
wish
to
attain
the
riches
overnight
and
take
an
easy
route/shortcut
to
climb
the
ladder
of
success.
Just
when
you
start
thinking
that
you've
conquered
it
all,
that
you're
God,
a
stroke
of
bad
luck
brings
you
back
to
Ground
Zero,
to
experience
the
harsh
realities
of
life.
Parmeet
walks
the
tight
rope
of
handling
a
complex
subject
and
offering
entertainment
simultaneously,
in
his
very
first
film.
To
his
credit,
the
film
has
several
poignant
and
enjoyable
moments
that
catch
you
by
complete
surprise.
While
the
film
has
it
all
-
the
writing
has
the
power
to
keep
the
viewer
hooked
-
the
film
has
a
handicap
in
the
form
of
its
second
hour,
especially
the
penultimate
25-odd
minutes.
Let
me
specify!
With
a
running
time
of
approx.
2.30
hours,
the
extra
footage
in
the
end
-
Shahid
and
friends
trying
to
salvage
his
uncle's
business
-
only
adds
to
the
length
of
the
enterprise.
Ideally,
the
film
should've
ended
when
the
friends
forgive
each
other
and
shake
hands,
after
a
series
of
personal
and
professional
setbacks.
Final
word?
Badmaash
Company
is
a
decent
attempt,
with
several
captivating
moments
and
power-packed
performances
by
each
and
every
member
of
its
cast.
We
often
grudge
that
entertainment-laden
films
make
no
sense
these
days,
but
this
one
entertains
and
also
makes
sense.
Watch
it!
Badmaash
Company
is
set
in
the
1990s
in
middle
class
Mumbai,
of
four
ordinary
youngsters
(Shahid
Kapoor,
Anushka
Sharma,
Meiyang
Chang
and
Vir
Das),
who
came
together
to
start
an
import
business
of
things
longed
for
by
yuppie
Indians.
What
made
their
venture
such
a
stupendous
success
was
the
fact
that
they
found
a
way
to
beat
the
system
and
soon
became
the
undisputed
kings
in
their
business,
realizing
their
one
dream
of
making
quick
money
is
by
doing
all
the
wrong
things
the
right
way.
Living
the
life
of
champagne
wishes
and
caviar
dreams,
the
four
friends
discover
that
to
make
a
business
successful,
you
don't
need
big
money.
All
you
need
is
a
big
idea.
All
is
well
and
hunky
dory
till
one
day
the
four
maverick
entrepreneurs
are
forced
to
shut
shop.
The
best
thing
about
Badmaash
Company
is
that
you
identify
with
the
mindset
of
those
who
aspire
to
reach
the
pinnacle
of
success
using
shortcuts.
The
scams
and
the
con
games
the
youth
indulge
in
are
easy
to
decipher
and
least
complicated,
which
works
in
its
favour.
Another
strong
point
is
the
camaraderie
that
the
four
actors
share
on
screen.
The
film
would've
fallen
flat
if
the
chemistry
was
missing,
but
the
bonding
looks
so
real
that
you
forget
that
they
are
merely
enacting
those
roles.
Badmaash
Company
has
some
terrific
moments.
The
sequences
in
Bangkok
are
enjoyable.
Ditto
for
the
showdown
between
the
friends
in
the
post-interval
hour.
The
transformation
in
Shahid's
persona
is
also
beautifully
depicted.
But,
like
I
pointed
out
at
the
outset,
the
second
hour
tends
to
get
repetitive
and
the
penultimate
25-odd
minutes
are
a
strict
no-no.
Pritam's
music
is
foot-tapping
and
almost
every
song
has
been
filmed
very
well.
Sanjay
Kapoor's
cinematography
is
just
right.
Every
actor
puts
his
best
foot
forward
in
Badmaash
Company.
Shahid
gets
it
right
yet
again.
It
wouldn't
be
erroneous
to
say
that
this
is
amongst
his
finest
works.
Watch
him
blow
his
lid
in
the
restaurant
sequence
and
also
in
another
sequence,
when
he
meets
a
pregnant
Anushka.
He
is
confidence
personified
in
those
sequences.
Anushka
is
a
revelation.
She
looks
stunning,
her
performance
is
livewire
and
the
chemistry
with
Shahid
is
electrifying.
Strangely,
she
took
a
backseat
after
her
debut
in
Rab
Ne
Bana
Di
Jodi,
but
Badmaash
Company
will
bring
her
back
in
public
eye.
Vir
Das
is
another
surprise.
He's
in
terrific
form
here.
The
film
marks
the
'birth' of
another
talent
-
Meiyang
Chang
-
who
adds
a
lot
of
freshness
and
zing
to
his
character.
Anupam
Kher
is
wonderful.
Kiran
Juneja
makes
her
presence
felt.
Pawan
Malhotra
is
extremely
likeable.
On
the
whole,
Badmaash
Company
is
a
watchable
experience
for
various
reasons,
the
prime
reason
being
it
offers
solid
entertainment,
but
doesn't
insult
your
intelligence.
Recommended!
Director
-
Parmeet
Sethi
Cast
-
Shahid
Kapoor,
Anushka
Sharma,
Meiyang
Chang,
Vir
Das