You do feel that its yet another "Jaago India Jaago" kinda film but it is just not that. Dibakar Bannerjee's Shanghai is a well crafted and well thought flick. The very colour scheme of the print right from the start invites you to an poking and thought provoking experience. In a year of amazing small budget and less marketed films, Shanghai adds itself to the list, and please do not miss it!
Sources say that the movie is based on the novel Z by Vassilis Vassilikos and I don't have any idea of that. The movie does not boast of a heavy star cast (based on star value) but the versatality of the actors sprouts from the center. Bengal megastar Prosenjit Chatterjee chips in with a very good performance creating an impact in bollywood which is here to stay. Kalki Koechlin is an amazing actress and one can definitely say that she's one of the best in bollywood at the moment. Although "Kisser Boy" Emran Hashmi plays a role of his title in Shanghai, he never gets to kiss anyone. Rather, he only films others doing it. Yes! He is a videographer. I never expected him to get involved in a role so much that he'd grow a tummy and learn the slang and give an absolutely brilliant performance. These two apart, for me the main hero of the movie is Abhay Deol. What an actor! He plays Krishnan, an IAS officer and he does not stop with just acting. At the end of it, you end it up too believing that he is a tamilian although his tamil wasn't that good. His perfect pronounciation of Hindi words (as would have been pronounced by a tamilian), his every move, his every expression is just class. He listens to Vishnu Sahasranaman, he offers the incense sticks to a jpg image on his laptop screen and prays, he acts like a coward in life threatening situations. No words to describe this performance. Dibakar sure knows how to get material out of talented people.
Speculations were rife that Shanghai is based on Dharavi slum, it may be but Dibakar has painted it so well that no one can protest about it. No one can say that it causes harm to their community or their party. The story is so well weaved that inspite of complex interlinking between the scenes you can never find an interlink hanging loose or an interlink with the outside world. Its titled Shanghai for a reason that it does not portray an Indian city and that the director wants a city in India to become like Shanghai. You can never find the name of the city where the plot revolves. Such is the magic of Dibakar Bannerjee.
Thrilling and gripping from frame 1, Shanghai also pokes and portrays the intelligence and yuckiness of politics. The secret interior games and tactics. All these are to spark the normal civilian. Hope it does atleast by many more movies atleast (inspite of earlier tries).
Special mention has to be made of Farooq Sheikh (once a comedy actor on TV) and Supriya Pathak (of Wake up Sid fame). They have really matured and learnt a lot of acting by hard work. They sure are legends in the making. Their path from small screen to now is inspiring. Kudos to them for choosing to work in this film and giving us the opportunity to gaze at their performance.
Music by Vishal-Shekhar didn't have an impact when the audio released except for the "Bharat Mata ki jai" song but within the movie, the songs have been engraved in a magical way. It had a huge share in making the movie last in the viewer's mind. Cinematography was par excellence. The story telling gripped on to the viewer's mind making him/her think deeper and deeper.
Dialogues were very native. Pronounciations like "hard diks" (instead of the obvious right pronounciation) were highlights. There is humor and wit and suspense and drama and of course brilliant performances by all the actors making Shanghai a feather in bollywood's cap lasting forever.
Watch Shanghai. Don't miss it.
Rating: 4/5
Shanghai: Jaago re!
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