Corporate does not involve you immediately. Unless you are the kind who religiously reads financial news, follows the stock markets or studies economics, it will take some time before you grasp the lingo.

Over the years, with theme-oriented films like Chandni Bar, Satta and Page 3, Bhandarkar has developed a characteristic style. He picks a section of society, and then hunts down everything that is directly or indirectly responsible for its supposed deterioration.

Here, corporate rivalry between Vinay Sehgal (Rajat Kapoor) and Dharmesh Marwah (Raj Babbar), managing directors of their respective companies, forms the crux of the plot.

Marwah is a fanatically religious and superstitious guy. Sehgal is a doughnut-eating, gym-going, stylish guy with a soft spot for extra-marital affairs.

Nishigandha Dasgupta (Bipasha Basu) is a top executive in Sehgal's organisation. Nishi is an award-winning go-getter who sports designer suits and casually resorts to deceitful tactics if necessary. Bribing, stealing and spying are all part of a day's work for her. Her love interest is her colleague Ritesh (Kay Kay Menon), who happens to be Sehgal's brother-in-law.

When Sehgal goes ahead with a deal adverse to public interests -- soft drinks containing pesticides -- Nishi develops a sense of till-now-misplaced conscience.

A film like Corporate demands strong presence to hold the viewer by the collar. The cast emerges powerful enough to do the needful. Bipasha is consistently impressive. She fits well into her suit and the skin of her character.

Rajat Kapoor's suave dynamism and cool demeanour makes him the perfect candidate to play a Gucci-clad businessman with no ethics. Raj Babbar suitably underplays the eccentric nature of his Marwah.

With its urban premise, intricate dialogue and stark realism, Corporate is a gripping, honest film that should appeal to the thinking audience.

Compiled by Cultural Correspondent