Shanghai reviews

Bad habits are easier to catch. Rowdy Rathore, for example. How easy it is to forget the mind-numbing corruption, inefficiency and governmental apa... read more

Bad habits are easier to catch. Rowdy Rathore, for example. How easy it is to forget the mind-numbing corruption, inefficiency and governmental apathy that exists all around us and watch Akshay Kumar twirl his mouche instead. And slowly we get used to the 'mindless entertainment' that has become a virtue in Bollywood.
Dibakar Banerjee does not do that. He makes a film that makes you think. A film that makes you cringe. A film that grabs you by the balls, looks you in the eye and says, "Bugger, think. You have 400 grams of maal between your ears. Use it."
The script (by Urmi Juvekar and Dibakar Banerjee himself) crackles with intelligence and intensity. It makes a slow start but picks up speed and several seemingly disparate strands to reach a damning climax.
Shanghai is also a film studded with brilliant performances. It is easy to talk about Emraan Hashmi (whom Raja Sen has called the Best Actor of 2012, for good reason), Abhay Deol's superb Tamil accent or Kalki and Prasenjit's intensity. But it is the array of peripheral characters that raise the film to another level. Farooque Shaikh and Pitobash, for example, in small parts turn in powerhouse performances.
Like always, Dibakar Banerjee gets the nuances of small-town India perfectly just as he gets the bureaucratic machination bang-on.
Overall, Shanghai is a film that is not easy. No answers. No happy endings. No riding into the sunset. It is a film that depresses you with its content but you also feel glad there are such strong, bold voices in India. And that is why we will never become Shanghai.view less

In the battle between truth and power, its very likely that power always triumphs. As a matter of fact, power has a history of triumphant instances... read more

In the battle between truth and power, its very likely that power always triumphs. As a matter of fact, power has a history of triumphant instances vis--vis truth or justice, both in reel and real life. Based on this simple premise and Vasilis Vasilikoss novel Z, Dibakar Banerjee gives one of the best political thrillers of the era, packed by stellar performances.

Professor and activist Dr. Ahmedi chooses the route of benign protest against the construction of Indian Business Park (IBP) in a small city called Bharat Nagar. Consequently, he gets mowed down by a speeding van in front of several men and his student Shalini (Kalki). The cops write off the case citing the whole incident to be an accident however Shalini strongly believes it definitely was a plot. With the aid of a local videographer cum pornographer Jogi (Emraan), Shalini decides to bring to justice people involved in the plot. Meanwhile, due to mass public outrage, CM of the state appoints Krishnan (Abhay) as the head of the commission to investigate the case. But, in the process Krishnan with the help of Shalini and Jogi stumbles upon new evidence that will shake the government of the state. What is the new evidence and will it help in imparting justice forms the rest of the story?

Although the names associated with the film may have heightened everybodys expectation, its the plot that makes Shanghai a compelling watch. Replace the characters in the film with real life characters; real politicians, their assistants and sidekicks along with corrupted police, youd have your own version of Shanghai in every city of this country. This is the kind of film thatd demonstrate that its not star actors or directors anymore but a convincing plot driven by astounding performances that determines the fate of a film.

Best part of the film is its pace; neither fast nor slow but appropriately paced throughout. Dibakar takes extra effort to keep things plausible but not exaggerate even for a minute. The political conspiracy is brilliantly executed, giving one the feeling as though they were watching a real life incident unfold by bits and pieces. Shanghai also becomes first of its kind of film that allows its audiences to decide for themselves whether the film is a political satire or docudrama. The experiment works for Dibakar because audiences like a film thats interactive.

Shanghai is spearheaded by some outstanding performances. The most entertaining and best of all was the role essayed by Emraan aka Jogi. He takes a break from his smooching spree and leaves everybody in awe with his career best role. Kalki brings in oodles of emotional quotient in to the film in a role which cant be adjudged her best but undoubtedly one of her best. Abhay deserves a special mention in a role that wasnt easy to pull off but he made it look so easy.

Music by Vishal-Shekhar perfectly synched in to the mood of the film, allowing audiences to savor it with the flow of the film. Editing and cinematography by Namrata Rao and Nikos was brilliant, and I dont mind giving Namrata an extra brownie point for keeping the editing as slick as possible.

In one line; Shanghai is a caustic political thriller that keeps the tension alive throughout the film.

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Dibakar Banerjee, the emperor with no clothes, comes out with his fourth film. All of his movies, excluding Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006) and including t... read more

Dibakar Banerjee, the emperor with no clothes, comes out with his fourth film. All of his movies, excluding Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006) and including this one, feel clunky and hollow. They lose steam midway and mostly the train never reaches the station. Or the station it reaches is the wrong one. I did think this time he would make something interesting but then I saw the trailers and I was reminded of scenes from the 1969 film, Z, by Costa Gavras. My main complaint first arose there, that it's highly unoriginal. But I can be very lenient there. I love to see an old story updated on screen. Be it a great story or an okay one. The only thing I wish to see in a remake (or an adaptation, whatever lets the filmmakers sleep at night) is how with the same story, it creates a new world. I have to be engaged and emotionally involved. Shanghai, sadly, cheapens the story, resorts to mere sensationalism and is just plain uninteresting. As an adaptation, it fails miserably.

Another complaint I had with Shanghai is that the film is titled "Shanghai" and it decides to uncover the pretensions of a political ideology which believes that the fictional Bharat Nagar will be made like a foreign city. We all know how that will pan out. But the inherent hypocrisy of this film which is itself based on foreign source material shows that the filmmaker is himself doing what he is making a film about and allegedly pointing fingers at. I can only see those three that are pointing at you, Mr. Banerjee.

Emraan Hashmi is excellent. His character is also the only one that has more than one dimension. Abhay Deol, on the other hand, speaks in Abhay Deol English or with a Tamil accent whenever he wishes. As a concept of an adaptation, Shanghai is great. But it never converts to the screen and becomes a movie. There are a few wonderful touches, but the again, Banerjee has always been great with dialogue.

People generally have a complaint with commercial potboilers like a recent Rowdy Rathore. They say it's the same old stuff. There's nothing new. But Mr. Banerjee is not concerned with this audience. His audience is the multiplex audience who want to see something new. I am a part of the multiplex audience and I'm sorry but I have heard this story many times before. I've read it as a play - The Dario Fo masterpiece called The Accidental Death of an Anarchist. And I've seen it as a film - Z (which is based on a novel). The Accidental Death of an Anarchist was a satire. Z was a thriller. Both inspired by actual events. Both utterly compelling but also extremely topical. They spoke about the times. The times were late 1960s. What is Shanghai then? Is it a satire? Is it a thriller? Is it inspired by true events? Is it a story of our times? (BJP's India Shining movement was circa 2004, we have other problems now) For those who haven't seen Z or read Accidental Death... this story will be interesting. All I could think was that I'm watching the same old stuff again. I've seen and read this before. There is nothing new.

I know I do not represent the entire multiplex audience. But I represent that part of it that feels cheated, just like the Indian people feel towards its government. I would rather watch Singham where an "honest" cop rises against corruption. It may not be "realistic". It may not be pointing fingers or trying to uncover a conspiracy. But at least it doesn't pretend to. It doesn't pretend like it will change a country. Its main concern is entertainment and it fulfills that promise handsomely. Hell, it even provoked me more than this film did.

The filmmakers (not all) who believe films are for entertainment are busy making products. The filmmakers (not all) who believe films can be art and make people think are busy making mirrors. Most are not telling stories. Most are not making movies.

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If this film tells you one thing, it is that Emraan Hashmi is terribly underrated as an actor. I simply loved him here - when he flashes his white-... read more

If this film tells you one thing, it is that Emraan Hashmi is terribly underrated as an actor. I simply loved him here - when he flashes his white-yellow teeth, when he tries to impress with his unimpressive English, and specially when he portrays the angst of a helpless man at the bottom of the Pyramid. And all we used him for, till now, was puckering up.

The second reason that I am enamored with Shanghai is because it has been directed so bloody brilliantly. I have never seen such treatment in Bollywood before, as far as I can remember. The audio is cut off at the most chaotic moments, which helps viewers take in the scene without being numbed by an assault to the senses. The characters - all of them are plagued by ethical and moral dilemmas that will make you flinch. None of them has it easy.

And the final reason why I loved the movie was because of its topical setting: it blends in perfectly with almost every issue that's in the news nowadays, toppling them over to expose the dark underbelly for what it is. It treats the audience with respect, and omits the obvious. The casting is purrr-fect, and I mean it when I imply that it has been done with feline precision. I have admired Pitobash Tripathy previously in Shor, and I did so again. The rest of the actors need no introduction.

Take a bow, Dibakar Bannerjee - you just seem to be pushing the benchmark a few notches higher with each film. Keep going FTW ! view less

Shanghai is a well-made movie. It boasts a tight story, a highly-strung screenplay, a suspense ridden ending that is so extremely understated that ... read more

Shanghai is a well-made movie. It boasts a tight story, a highly-strung screenplay, a suspense ridden ending that is so extremely understated that you dont realize how much of your finger you have chewed up and some first rate acting from the cast.

The story is centered on the attempted killing of a political leader who is trying to fight for the rights of slum dwellers being evicted from their dwelling to make way for a business park. He is deified by his student turned lover who along with his other followers try to find out the truth about the people behind the accident. The Government orders an enquiry to be headed by a Tamil bureaucrat who tries to conduct the investigation honestly and runs into obstacles in the course of justice. It would be unfair to give away the rest of the story and spoil your evening at the movies.

Abhay Deol worked hard at getting the Tamil accent right and though it sounds a bit too forceful at times I guess one needs to play it up a bit to make it sound more effective. His body language is also bang on. He is always tightly wound up, ramrod straight and obsessed with his tie- a man who believes in his principles. I loved Farooque Shaikh who plays his pragmatic boss. Good to see him in such great form. Emraan Hashmi gets a chance at playing a character who does not have to kiss anyone and he acquits himself honourably. I almost expected a Sufi song to start playing in the background when he came on but the director has used him wisely and well. Kalki is in danger of becoming typecast as the off balance passionate person and she walks through this role with ease. Pitobash Tripathy who plays the slightly deranged goon Bhagu is outstanding

My advice - do not eat crackly snacks in this movie. The crunching may drown out some crucial dialogues needed to understand whats going on. Also make sure the person behind you is not tall and nudging your seat. You turn around to tell him and bang! goes another dialogue. Immerse yourself in this drama and you will come out totally satisfied and singing Bharatmata ki Jai. Dibakar Banerjee Zindabad
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In Shanghai silences speak louder than words and noise. Long pauses interrupt sparse and crisp dialogues making a hard hitting statement on our sys... read more

In Shanghai silences speak louder than words and noise. Long pauses interrupt sparse and crisp dialogues making a hard hitting statement on our system and the way everyone works it to their advantage.

Prossenjit is a social activist raising his voice against IBP, a development project that aims to swindle land away from the poort in the name of progress. Killed by the powers that be leaving his student Kalki and a porn film maker Emraan Hashmi to try and bring out the truth out in the open, his death is investigated into by Abhay Deol who plays a bureaucrat.

Based on the novel "Z", Shanghai adapts the story of a political thriller to Mumbai and Bharat nagar echoing almost every single issue that the nation is baffling with under the current regime-from land grabbing to internal displacement, from corruption to cover ups, from suppressing dissent to trying to control truth and information-Dibaker Bannerjee touches every single issue while remaining truthful to the basic story device of a political thriller.

As is the case in real life, no character is black or white. If the CM madam and her crony Farooqq Sheikh are corrupt power hungry monsters who can arm twist the system through their position and power, Prossenjit and his wife do the same under the garb of social work, using media as a tool instead. If Supriya Pathak as the CM colludes with the opposition for her personal ambition, Prossenjit is depicted as a womanizer with serial affairs with his students. The only clean one ironically turns out to be Emraan Hashmi as Jogi, the porn film maker with a conscience. Abhay Deol's brilliant take as the moral bureaucrat (perhaps the first non-mocking south Indian character in mainstream Hindi cinema of late)finds a way to work the flaws of the system from the inside, perhaps a comment on how Anna and gang cannot achieve anything as long as they are outside the very system they aim to reform.

Shanghai aims at jolting the audience and conveying a sense of frustration with the way things are, a fact amply established by the story telling. The social activists death, a pivotal incident in the film, is repeated in quick succession to shock and stun, even as a sluggish lazy pace of the the story mimics the snail like blob of a system we have to deal with every day in the country. As doors close one after the other on the investigation into the murder with just a stern "investigation under progress" excuse, the film depicts the secretive, primitive and feudal nature of governance we have even after independence..

The other great strength of the film is its pitch perfect performances. Abhay, Kalki, Supriya, Farooq and Pitobash ar the usual suspects who deliver bang on. the surprise package however is Emraan Hashmi who impresses with his paunch, stained teeth and immaculate acting. Shanghai will definitely change the way audiences perceive this serial kisser.

The makers have also worked the current "system" of bollywood intelligently, keeping all the market friendly songs including the now mandatory Item number to just the publicity material and mercifully relegating all of them to the background in the narrative. An intelligently crafted and superbly executed idea, Shanghai is one the best films thus far this year. Definitely worth a watch. view less

Do you like silence in movies? Moments when the camera is looking at the actor and you are trying to figure out whats going on in his/her head? Sha... read more

Do you like silence in movies? Moments when the camera is looking at the actor and you are trying to figure out whats going on in his/her head? Shanghai has many such moments which make it a cut above the rest. I havent read the book Z which this film is adapted from but I have had the pleasure of experiencing the movie Z in Chandan (an old single screen theatre in Mumbai) during a film festival so I was very curious to see how Dibakar adapts the book.

It is set in a fictional town called Bharat nagar which a fictional party called I.B.P wants to turn into Shanghai. The man who opposes the idea, Dr. Ahmedi (Prosenjit Chatterjee) steps into Bharat Nagar for a speech. He is hit by a truck just after his speech. What follows next is a whodunit political thriller. Dibakar spends almost 30 mins in introducing the key players. Right from the opening scene Shanghai is an engaging film and the ensemble cast is one big reason for that. Every single actor even the ones who play the smallest parts fit in perfectly into the mood of the film.

I went in to see the leads Abhay, Emraan, Kalki and Prosenjit but with due respect to all of them I came out impressed with Anant Jogs mostly silent and powerful performance. For me his character represents the state of our nation. He and Pitobashs character are two sides of the same coin. One is a silent spectator and the other a willing accomplice who doesnt know that he is being used. Along with these two, the guy who plays the SSP, the guy who plays Emraans boss and many such small actors left a lasting impression on me. Atul Mongia (Casting Director) deserves a standing ovation for it.

This is by far Dipakar Banerjees best film and is a perfectly crafted and well designed thriller. I would credit the editor Namrata Rao for the therav and rhythm that the film has. Her editing is almost like zen meditation. Complimenting her perfectly is Mike McCleary's background score. The one in the climax is to die for. Both of them give the film its mood which is one of the best things about the film. The background music undoes all the wrongs of the weak soundtrack the film has. Lastly it is Nikos Andritsakis that makes the film such a real and raw visual experience. Except the placement of the song bharat mata ki jai and Kalki screaming at Anant Jogs house scene I couldnt find a single false note in the film. By producing this film PVR pictures have got rid of their past few sins.

Word of mouth - If you love silence, mood, therav in movies go watch Shanghai otherwise noise is still playing in it's 2nd week.


Rating - **** (Very Good)

Ticket Meter Worth a visit to the theatre at any cost
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Whether it be Khosla ka Ghosla, Oye lucky lucky Oye or Love Sex aur Dhoka, director Dibakar Banerjee has wowed us with his ability to tell stories ... read more

Whether it be Khosla ka Ghosla, Oye lucky lucky Oye or Love Sex aur Dhoka, director Dibakar Banerjee has wowed us with his ability to tell stories with his unique yet engaging style. This time, he comes with a political thriller which has been much awaited. Does it match up to our expectations?
A valiant & hard hitting effort this one, its a well made film backed by exemplary performances but just falls short somewhere.

Set in small-town India, the local government wants to redevelop the area under a project titled IBP (International Business Park). An esteemed social activist (Prosenjit Chatterjee) is protesting for the rights the locals but is mowed down by the political party in question. What the next 115 minutes deals with is Shalini Sahays(Kalki K) fight for justice. A student of his, she seeks the help of local videographer/porn filmmaker Joginder(Emraan Hashmi) & restrained yet no-nonsense IAS officer TA Krishnan(Abhay Deol) to book those at fault.

While its true that scores of Bollywood films have tackled corruption in the system, none have done so in a completely deglamorized avatar. The beauty of the film lies in the simplicity of the storytelling which is engaging yet very real.
The music by Vishal & Shekhar is strictly ok but the background score by Mikey McLeary is absolutely fantastic.

When it comes to performances, all of them shine. The star of this show, pitching in with a stellar effort is Emraan Hashmi. He truly shows his growth as an actor. Kalki too is fiery in her disturbing role & one particular scene where she beats up a truck driver is one of the best in the film. Abhay stays in character and comes into his own in the last 20 minutes of the film.

While it has plenty of plus points, it doesnt manage to land the knockout punch as parts of the film do drop. There is a lot that happens in these 2 hours and sometimes you just need it to slowdown to build the moments.

Nevertheless, Dibakar Banerjee shines yet again as he crafts a film thats haunting in a strange way. I would surely recommend all to watch this once & share your views on it. Not filmi, only real, Shanghai is surely one of the better films around.
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nice

nice movie