As ‘Corporate’ completed two decades on July 7, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar looked back at the journey of one of his most acclaimed films. While the 2006 drama earned immense appreciation from audiences and critics alike, it surprisingly failed to secure a National Award or a Filmfare Award. Reflecting on the milestone, the filmmaker shared why the film still holds a special place in his career and why he believes Bipasha Basu deserved the country’s highest cinematic honour.
The National Awards dilemma between ‘Corporate’ and ‘Traffic Signal ‘
Talking to Bollywood Hungama, Madhur Bhandarkar revealed that the National Awards jury found it difficult to choose between ‘Corporate’ and his subsequent directorial ‘Traffic Signal’. Although ‘Traffic Signal’ released months later, both films were considered during the same National Awards cycle.Recalling the experience, he said, “Corporate and Traffic Signal competed in the same year at the National Awards (though the latter released 7 months later and the next year)! And yes, I was a bit disappointed that Corporate didn’t win any award. However, it was heartening to win the Best Director award for Traffic Signal at the National Awards. I guess the reality that Traffic Signal showed about the downtrodden appealed to them more. When I went to receive the National Award, a lot of jury members called me and confessed, ‘It took us 2-3 days to decide whether we should award you for Traffic Signal or Corporate because both films were absolutely brilliant’. Ultimately, the majority wins and it was decided to give me the award for Traffic Signal.”
Bipasha Basu deserved a National Award
The filmmaker had nothing but praise for Bipasha Basu, who headlined ‘Corporate’. According to him, her portrayal remains the finest performance of her career and should have earned her a National Award.Sharing his thoughts, Madhur said, “Bipasha Basu got a lot of applause and love and she did pick up some awards. But I feel that had she won the National Award, it would have been so overwhelming for her. I truly feel that this is Bipasha’s career best work.”Despite its strong content, ‘Corporate’ received a limited theatrical release due to its genre. At the time, theatres were already occupied by commercially successful films such as ‘Fanaa’, ‘Phir Hera Pheri’, ‘Chup Chup Ke’ and ‘Krrish’, making it difficult for the film to secure enough screens.Explaining the situation, Madhur recalled, “The Gaiety-Galaxy management told us that they’ll play the film in just one show as it’s a very multiplex-friendly film. They said, ‘Hamare theatre mein aapki film dekhne public nahin aayegi’. But audiences came in huge numbers. Later, they shifted the film to Gemini and played 3 or 4 shows a day.”
The audience response exceeded expectations
The director also remembered witnessing the audience’s reaction firsthand at Mumbai’s Eros Cinema on the day of release. Watching viewers connect with the film became one of the defining moments of his career.He shared, “I had gone to Eros cinema on the first day of release. The first show of the film was at 3:00 pm. It was a packed show. When the film ended, some people were just numb and speechless. But many youngsters recognized me. They literally picked me up! They couldn’t stop praising it. Even talking about it today gives me goosebumps. It was an unforgettable moment.”
Why the emotional core resonated
Although many believed the film’s corporate backdrop and business terminology would make it difficult for audiences to understand, Madhur always believed its emotional depth would strike a chord.He explained, “A lot of people remarked that inherently, it’s a very intellectual film aur bahut logon ko samaj mein nahin aayegi. However, people connect with the emotions. My reply was ‘Maybe people may not understand the nuances and jargon. However, people will connect with the emotions and the pain of the protagonist’.”
The mystery fans continue to debate
Even after two decades, one question continues to follow the filmmaker regarding Kay Kay Menon‘s character in ‘Corporate’. Was his death a suicide or a murder?Speaking about the much-discussed climax, Madhur said, “A question that people ask even today was, ‘Did Kay Kay Menon commit suicide or was he killed?’. I remember shooting that scene at Taj Lands End. He’s looking outside the window. The bell rings and he turns. The next cut is of the sweeper cleaning the streets while his body is lying down in a pool of blood. A voiceover by Atul Kulkarni mentions, ‘Ritesh’s death was believed to be suicide, though some people considered it a murder’. So, when people asked me the question, I didn’t answer. I simply said, ‘Aapko jo sochna hai, woh socho’! Very recently, I was at an event, and the same question came up (laughs).”
