Mumbai: Director Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) recently revealed why he replaced Shah Rukh Khan with Ajay Devgn for the role of N Mallik in his gangster drama Company. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, RGV explained that his decision was based on the distinct energy and style required for the character.

Shah Rukh Khan was the first choice

RGV disclosed that Shah Rukh Khan was initially his first choice for the role of N Mallik. “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 and cold-minded when he’s thinking. I thought SRK’s natural energy would go against that. To make Shah Rukh still would be an injustice to both him and the film,” he said.

He further 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. I just had one meeting with SRK, and in that itself I realised it wouldn’t work, but I didn’t tell him.”

Ajay Devgn finalised on the same day

RGV revealed that immediately after leaving Shah Rukh’s house, he called Ajay Devgn and finalised him for the role. Regarding the role of Chandrakant “Chandru” Nagre, he shared that Abhishek Bachchan was his first choice, but as Abhishek was busy with multiple films, the role went to Vivek Oberoi, who made his debut with Company.

About Company

Released in 2002, Company was helmed by RGV and written by Jaideep Sahni. The gangster drama featured Mohanlal, Ajay Devgn, Vivek Oberoi, Manisha Koirala, Antara Mali, and Seema Biswas, marking Mohanlal’s Hindi cinema debut. The film was the second in RGV’s gangster trilogy, following Satya (1998), and became a commercial success, grossing ₹25.02 crore against a budget of ₹9.5 crore.

RGV’s upcoming project

RGV is set to reunite with Manoj Bajpayee for his upcoming horror comedy Police Station Mein Bhoot. He shared the premise, saying, “We run to the police when scared, but where will the police run to when they get scared? After a deadly encounter killing, a police station becomes a haunted station, making all the cops run in fear to escape the ghosts of the gangsters.” Release dates and other cast details are yet to be announced.