Abhay Deol-Emraan Hashmi joining hands for Shanghai
News
oi-Prakash KL
By Ramchander
There
are,
they
say,
two
kinds
of
actors.
The
ones
who
act
from
the
mind;
and
the
ones
who
act
from
the
heart.
The
ones
who
think
through
every
facet
of
their
characters
histories
and
motivations;
and
the
ones
who
instinctively
become
those
characters.
It"s
not
a
question
of
talent:
both
kinds
are
equally
talented.
And
it"s
not
a
question
of
popularity,
for
both
kinds
are
equally
worshipped
by
their
own
particular
fan
bases.
Among
the
new
generation
of
Indian
actors,
there
are
perhaps
no
two
actors
more
representative
of
these
two
kinds
than
Abhay
Deol
and
Emraan
Hashmi.
Their
careers
are
still
young,
but
they
have
both
demonstrated
the
kind
of
ability
to
capture
the
attention
of
the
camera
that
makes
them
such
compelling
performers.
Now,
for
the
first
time
they
are
coming
together
on
the
big
screen,
and
that
too
for
a
director
whose
name
is
synonymous
with
thoughtful
and
cutting-edge,
yet
popular
and
entertaining
cinema:
Dibakar
Banerjee.
Said
Kamal
Gianchandani,
President
PVR
Pictures,
“It
gives
me
enormous
pleasure
not
just
to
produce
Dibakar"s
latest
film
Shanghai,
but
to
see
the
two
lead
characters
being
brought
to
life
by
such
actors
of
such
contrasting,
but
equally
versatile
talent.
Casting
Emraan
and
Abhay
in
the
film
was
first
and
foremost
a
creative
decision,
but
as
a
producer
I
am
thrilled
that
it
also
will
help
in
bringing
to
this
gripping
film,
audiences
from
across
the
spectrum."
Shanghai
is
an
official
Hindi
adaptation
of
the
political
thriller
that
the
Greek
novelist
Vassilis
Vassilikos
wrote
about
the
real-life
assassination
of
a
dynamic
politician.
It
has
been
adapted
by
Dibakar
and
his
team
to
the
Indian
context
and
pulls
absolutely
no
punches
in
its
depiction
of
contemporary
Indian
realities.
Said
Dibakar
Banerjee,
"I'm
looking
forward
to
breaking
some
presumptions
with
this
film!
I
love
the
way
some
people
stereotype
the
dark,
kissy,
negative
Bond
side
of
Emraan
in
his
films.
Well
this
film
is
going
to
see
him
go
right
into
the
heat
and
dust
of
a
hellish
Indian
small
town
and
its
deadly
politics.
No
leather
jackets,
suave
bars
and
foreign
locales.
He's
here,
in
love,
on
a
broken
down
scooter,
shooting
sleazy
videos
and
on
the
run
for
his
life!
And
Abhay
has
never
been
seen
like
this
before
-
in
a
negative,
cold,
almost
vicious
character.
Imagine
Abhay
being
the
establishment
instead
of
fighting
it.
He
looks
at
you
through
his
glasses,
wearing
his
stiff
shirt
and
you
wonder
what's
on
his
mind.
Then
you
may
be
under
arrest
and
you
don't
even
know
he
did
it!
He
is
powerful,
he
represents
the
ruling
class
-
and
he
doesn't
forget
an
insult
-
ever!"