Badmaash Company

''Badmaash Company'' () is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film written and directed by Parmeet Sethi, and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Meiyang Chang, and Vir Das, and follows four young friends from middle-class backgrounds in Mumbai who form an illicit business venture that quickly escalates into a high-stakes international con operation.

The film marked Sethi’s directorial debut and brought together a cast of emerging and established actors. Principal photography took place in locations across India, Thailand, and the United States.

''Badmaash Company'' released on 7 May 2010, and received mixed reviews from critics. While the cast performances—particularly Kapoor’s—and the film’s youthful tone were praised, the screenplay and pacing received criticism. Despite this, the film proved to be a commercial success, grossing ₹530 million (US$11.8 million) worldwide.

Plot

In 1994 Bombay, Karan Kapoor, a middle-class college graduate, dreams of starting his own business, much to the disapproval of his father, Sajjan Kapoor, who insists he pursue an MBA. While on a trip to Bangkok with his friends Zing and Chandu, Karan meets Bulbul Singh, an aspiring model. Encouraged by her belief in big ideas over big money, Karan returns to India with a renewed drive to succeed.

When Sajjan suffers a heart attack and the family struggles with medical expenses, Karan is motivated to change his fortunes. He devises a smuggling operation involving Reebok shoes, cleverly avoiding customs duties by exploiting flaws in the system. Along with Zing, Chandu, and Bulbul, he establishes a venture called "Friends and Company." The group becomes wealthy by repeating similar schemes.

After a confrontation with his father over the illegal nature of his work, Karan moves in with Bulbul and expands their operations to the United States, aided by his uncle Jazz. There, the group continues their exploits through real estate scams and high-end goods arbitrage. However, their success breeds excess. Zing's drinking leads to a breakup with his girlfriend Linda, who eventually marries Chandu. Karan, meanwhile, enters a fraudulent marriage for a green card, leading Bulbul to leave him. The group disbands amid personal rifts.

Isolated and consumed by guilt, Karan returns to India and witnesses his father being honored for his integrity. This inspires him to abandon his unethical ways. He returns to America, serves a jail sentence, and upon release is bailed out by his former friends, who also forfeit their shares in the company. Reunited with Bulbul—now pregnant with his child—Karan begins anew by working at his uncle’s firm.

When a failed shirt consignment threatens Jazz’s company, Karan spins the defect as an innovative “color-changing” feature, reigniting consumer interest. The gimmick is popularized during a Michael Jackson concert, where Linda, now a backup dancer, helps market the shirt. The company’s fortunes reverse, and the original team reunites to launch a legitimate business.

The film ends with "Friends and Company" flourishing as a public enterprise and Karan finding personal and professional fulfillment, having reconciled with his father and built a life grounded in integrity.

Cast

*Shahid Kapoor as Karan Kapoor
*Anushka Sharma as Bulbul Singh
*Vir Das as Chandu
*Meiyang Chang as Zing
*Anupam Kher as Sajjan Kapoor, Karan father
*Kiran Juneja as Maya Kapoor: Karan’s mother
* Shalini Chandran as Anu Kapoor: Karan's sister
*Pavan Malhotra as Jazz: Karan’s maternal uncle
* Jameel Khan as Archie Bhai
*Alexandra Vino as Linda
*John Marenjo as Charlie
*Obaid Kadwani as the Lawyer

Production

''Badmaash Company'' marked the directorial debut of Parmeet Sethi, who also wrote the screenplay. Sethi reportedly completed the script in just six days, drawing inspiration from real-life individuals for the film’s four main characters. He later stated that he was disillusioned with television and eager to transition into filmmaking.

Principal photography took place across various international and domestic locations, including New York City, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Bangkok, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.

Reception

Box office

''Badmaash Company'' opened to decent collections despite facing stiff competition from the multi-starrer '' Housefull''. It earned approximately ₹208.4 million by the end of its first week. The film continued to perform steadily in domestic markets and ultimately grossed ₹529.8 million at the end of its theatrical run, emerging as a commercial success.

Critical response

''Badmaash Company'' received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise for its entertainment value and performances but criticism directed at its predictability and narrative.

Taran Adarsh of ''Bollywood Hungama'' rated the film 3 out of 5, calling it "a watchable experience" that "offers solid entertainment but doesn't insult your intelligence." Gaurav Malani of ''Indiatimes'' gave it 3.5 out of 5, praising Shahid Kapoor and calling the film “a good entertainer. Worth a watch!” Nikhat Kazmi of ''The Times of India'' rated it 3 out of 5, noting that while it had "riveting scenes," the plot followed a predictable arc of crime and redemption.

On the other hand, some critics were more reserved. Komal Nahta gave it 2.5 out of 5, appreciating Kapoor’s performance but calling the film uneven. Sukanya Verma of ''Rediff.com'' rated it 2 out of 5, writing that the film started off with promise but got bogged down in clichés. Rajeev Masand of ''CNN-IBN'' was particularly critical, giving it 1.5 out of 5 and calling it “outrageously silly.”

Additional reviews ranged from mixed-to-negative. Anupama Chopra of ''NDTV'' labeled it “staggeringly tedious,” while Raja Sen of ''Rediff.com'' remarked that “there’s not a single scene in the film that actually works.” Mayank Shekhar of ''Hindustan Times'' noted the film’s decline after the interval, calling it “half-written,” and gave it 2 out of 5. The review aggregator ''ReviewGang'' gave it an average score of 4/10, reflecting the divided critical opinion.

Accolades

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of ''Badmaash Company'' was composed by Pritam, with lyrics written by Anvita Dutt Guptan. The film score was composed by Julius Packiam.

References

External links

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2010 films
2010s Hindi-language films
2010s Indian films
2010s crime comedy-drama films
Films featuring songs by Pritam
Films set in Mumbai
Indian buddy films
Indian crime comedy-drama films
Indian films set in New York City
Yash Raj Films films
2010s buddy films
Films adapted for other media
Films shot in New York City
Films shot in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Films shot in Philadelphia
Films shot in Bangkok
Films shot in Mumbai
Films shot in Hyderabad, India
Films set in Bangkok
Films about Indian Americans
Cultural depictions of Michael Jackson
Films set in 1994