Read more on what Dibakar Banerjee’s most expensive film is all about

Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; February 16, 2012)
When you hear the title Shanghai, the first thought that comes to mind is Chinese superstar Jet Li or one of his peers flying across the screen showing off their prowess in martial arts. Nothing could be further from the truth though.

PVR Pictures and Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai is a political thriller based on the controversial topic of land grabbing and skewed redevelopment.

Made on a lavish budget, this mainstream film brings together two varied schools of acting with Abhay Deol (middle-of-the-road cinema) and Emraan Hashmi (hardcore commercial), both of whom have undergone a complete metamorphosis.

Dibakar, whose current stock is at an all timehigh courtesy National Award-winning cinema like Khosla Ka Ghosla, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! and the avant garde Love Sex Aur Dhoka (LSD), is presently working on the background score of Shanghai. Talking about his actors — Abhay plays a South Indian character called Mr Krishnan, and Emraan plays a hardcore wheeler-dealer called Jogi Parmar — Dibakar says, “I’m happy they trusted my script and did a 180-degree turn from their existing images. Who would have imagined Abhay sporting a moustache or Emraan moving away from his romantic image? Two other actors who are also brilliant in the film are Bengali superstar Prosenjit and Kalki Koechlin. Prosenjit is on the wrong side of 40, but all the women on my set found him drop-dead sexy. And Kalki, who was going through a personal low of sorts while shooting, was able to bring out trauma on screen so effectively.’’

Ajay Bijli of PVR Pictures says, “Shanghai is an extraordinary story, made even more powerful by Dibakar’s unmatched artistry. Casting Emraan and Abhay in leading roles was a masterstroke. We will deliver an entertaining and inspiring film for the audience.”

Shanghai is presented by PVR Pictures and releases on June 8.

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