Corporate ... Greed for the lack of a better word is bad

Corporate is the story of two tycoons fighting for control in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) section. A US corporation Freescon (hopefully this is not a real name :)) wants to enter the growing Indian fast food market. But due to the red tape, it has to partner with local companies. Govt. of India is also considering disinvestment in its ailing PSU MBD or Maharashtra Bottling and Distribution. Now the value of this PSU is in crores of rupees (or millions of dollars) and it is also situated on a viable piece of land.

So the war begins. Swords are drawn, cries are shouted, spies are put on payrolls, honey traps are planted, govt. officials are bribed. In short, both the rival companies Marwa and Sehgal do all the things that Chanakya or Rasputin would have recommended to achieve their goal.

Now this is not just a business story, it also has a light vein of a love story between Nishi and Ritesh. Ritesh is the brother in law of Sehgal and Nishi is an empowered woman and top executive in the Sehgal group. In Nishi's bad times, Ritesh has given her a helping hand and support. So Nishi tries to help Ritesh with his new project.

But if everything goes smoothly, why would you and I watch a movie? Marwa group wins the PSU bidding by bribing a minister in the state govt. To encounter this move, Nishi steals the secret of Marwa's new soft drink from the CEO of Marwa group using what she could use best, or worst for that matter. Although this scandal ruins the life and career of the CEO of Marwa group, it gives Sehgal an edge in the making of new soft drink. But alas, what goes around, comes around. And the water that Sehgal was using to make the soft drink is found to contain pesticides. So the reputation of Sehgal group along with its market value is reduced to dust due to the lawsuits filed against it.

Here the movie takes an interesting turn. To save his skin, Sehgal asks Nishi to take all the responsibility and face the inquiry commission. Poor Nishi, in one stupid emotional moment she loses what she has been trying to achieve all her life and goes behind the bars.

So what happens in the end? I will not tell you. Although the ending did not come as a surprise to me, the movie has been directed well and lives up to the expectations.

Among the good points I would like to mention, everyone has acted really well. Especially Vinay Apte's role of a corrupt state minister is worth watching. It is heartening to see that talented Marathi actors are moving beyond the roles of housekeepers. This is the second movie in which I liked Bipasha's acting. She has done quite well as a ruthless executive and also as a helpless single mom. Other actors including Rajat Kapoor and Raj Babbar are veterans what more can I say.

The movie is a bit long for me. Also there were some logical flaws. But I can live with that.

To summarize the message I think "Greed, gentlemen, for the lack of a better word, is bad" (Thanks to the movie - "Wall Street" for this quote).