Shanghai

Before I start, let me tell you that I haven't read Vassillis Vasilikov's Z and neither have I seen the Academy Award winning film by Costa-Gavras. Shanghai based on the same book, for me, comes as an original standalone in Hindi cinema by the double time National Award winner Dibakar Bannerjee.

Shanghai, is what this fictional town of Bharat Nagar will look like with the flourishing of "International Business Park (IBP)", as promised by the Chief Minister (Supriya Pathak). You can expect it to be any other political scam. Dr. Ahmedi (Prosenjit Chatterjee) who believes this project will degrade the living of the poor, lands here to set his march of opposition. Alongwith Ahmedi, comes a Katrina Kaif caricature Tina. While she is doing Imported Kamariya at the IBP (India Bana Pardes) show, Dr. Ahmedi is slayed to death by a truck. His student, Shalini Sahay (Kalki) is stubborn about the fact that it was not an accident but murder. IAS Officer T. A. Krishnan (Abhay Deol) leads the Enquiry Commission set by the CM. Meanwhile, Jogi Parmar (Emran Hashmi), a pornographer reaches an evidence material of the case.

Meeting of every two aforesaid characters is marked with playful scene like entering of a ball in the newly setup office of Krishnan between a heated discussion, or the English conversation of Jogi with Shalini.

Leisurely paced, the first half is cooked up with two songs where Bharat Mata Ki Jai is just abrupt, misled and serves no purpose to the story. That's what you wanted Mr. Producer, right? An item song and a peppy track? But what makes the direction extra-ordinary are the detailing with the arts and sound design in almost every scene. Note that sound of a crying baby in the background amidst the tensed situation when Dr. Ahmedi is admitted to the hospital. Whereas the background score in most of the parts is overdone with the same beats.

For its running time of 114 minutes, this thriller grips you leisurely with not many scenes that brings you to the edge of your seat but its raw treatment and toning , fine editing and engaging performances. Emran Hashmi stands out of the lot with his best performance of his career. You are never let to believe that you are actually watching the same Hashmi. The most experienced actor Faroque Sheikh draws every attention in his scene. Kalki plays the deepest character of the film with mild tone and louder-than-words silence. Abhay Deol is in the skin of the character of a generous officer with his Tam accent. Pitobash is almost similar as you have seen him in Shor In The City.

By the end, things resurface to the top, gets unfold, and many unanswered questions are left to you to think. Dibakar doesn't hammer you with the dark side of the political system but asks many questions. Prominently, Is India really shining? Judge yourself. But Indian Cinema is really shining with this movie at the theaters.

Though I don't account Shanghai as DB's best work (for me, it's still L.S.D.), but it is the best political thriller you could ever see.

Just coming home after watching the movie, and I was really really impressed with... Everything. While coming back, I heard some friends say it was boring and not very good, which made me write this review:

Watch It if you are looking for some serious cinema. Definitely Watch It if you have a brain to actually THINK about what the movie is trying to say.

I've been disillusioned with Bollywood for some years now, but every year, there come some movies which are absolutely top class, which actually say something rather than throwing undercooked brainless (un)comic crap at us. Shanghai is one of the former, and nearly everything is well done in this movie.

The direction is very good and tight, the background score is very apt, the cinematography is fantastic, as is the editing. And although the story is actually not very new, revolving around the general hopelessness we associate with Indian politics and law, the way Dibakar Banerjee presents it, and the (un)happy-ending really makes it shine...

I think that the movie may probably not do extremely well in theaters because "most" Indians go for mindless comedies these days, but those who want to see a GOOD movie, This is definitely one for them.

There is only one word to describe the cinematography, the set designs and the dialogues, and that is Exceptional! You don't just watch the scenes happening, you feel them. The movie is a real thrill ride. The action scenes are well pictured and the music is electronically haunting. Never, in the run time of the movie, you will get a chance to move your eyes from the screen to any other object.

The film is hardly one hour-fifty minutes long, and you wish that there was no interval. You don't need one when you are watching a crisp and thrilling film like this one! It's an engaging thriller with a political backdrop, and the performances are mind blowing. Kalki Koechlin is fabulous. Pitobash Tripathy is superb. Abhay Deol has captured the nuisances of the south Indian accent perfectly. He is restrained and strong. But the star of the show is Emraan Hashmi. It might turn out to be too intelligent for Emraan Hashmi fans who generally come to see him smooch his leading lady. So we will have to wait and see if a brilliant film like this is lapped up at the box office or not. Shanghai shocks, engages and makes a powerful statement. Dibakar lives up to the standards he has set for himself.

Take any of your favorite political thrillers. What you'd find is political insight and compelling suspense, seamlessly woven to demystify your flimsy notions and beliefs about that subject. While the protagonist peels the layers off falsehood, you experience the joy of veils dropping. You get more than just the solution of a mystery; a new interpretation of the event, a shocking perspective. Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai is one such political thriller. This terrific film hits you like a hurricane and terrifies you to bits. It has an abiding effect that will haunt you even hours after you've left the theater. If you enjoy true cinema, go for SHANGHAI.. Else, better wait for SRK or FARAH KHAN's next POPCORN FLICK!! Go for SHANGHAI for Kalki Koechlin, for Emraam Hashmi,for Abhay Deol, for the Music & for everything you want from a masterpiece! And next time you end up comparing why do Bollywood standards do not reach Hollywood, stay quite! You don't deserve a word!

10/10

I really enjoyed watching this latest Political thrillers like the west since our cinema mostly aims at only entertainment as an escape from the real life. The acting is great, the storyline is well written with adequate character development to let you get emotionally invested. The film is based on Greek writer Vassilis Vassilikos' political novel "Z" on which director Costa-Gavras also made his project titled "Z" (French) in 1969, which means "He is Alive" in a symbolic form. But SHANGHAI actually scores much higher than all the earlier political thrillers made in the country mainly due to its subtle and calm treatment of an intense plot which keeps you engrossed especially in its second half.Emraan Hashmi has shown real talent that he is much more capable of apart from smooching leading lady. If you love true cinema, go for SHANGHAI.