After
achieving
nation-wide
acclaims
with
films
like
Khosla
Ka
Ghosla
and
Love,Sex
and
Dhokha,
this
time,
filmmaker
Dibakar
Banerjee
is
again
likely
to
hit
the
bull's
eye
with
his
latest
political
thriller.
The
story
of
the
film
Shanghai
is
not
new
in
Bollywood,
but
what
makes
it
watchable
is
how
Banerjee
makes
you
completely
engaged
in
his
skilful
creation.
Story:
The
story
of
Shanghai
revolves
around
the
assassination
of
a
political
activist
(Prosenjit
Chatterjee),
who
is
seen
opposing
an
upcoming
infrastructure
project
in
Bharat
Nagar
that
is
backed
by
the
ruling
political
party.
Though
it
is
initially
learnt
as
a
drunken
accident,
Shalini
(Kalki
Koechlin)
believes
it
as
a
cold-blooded
murder.
While
porn
filmmaker
(Emraan
Hashmi)
claims
to
have
the
proof
that
will
bring
the
government
down.
A
high-ranking
bureaucrat
(Abhay
Deol)
has
been
appointed
to
investigate
the
case.
One
can
easily
witness
Banerjee's
versatility
and
clarity
in
his
film
making
through
Shanghai.
Shanghai
is
one
of
the
most
bravest
attempt
of
Banerjee.
The
film
is
definitely
not
what
we
call
as
a
'Mirch
Masala
movie',
but
it
is
based
on
the
raw
truths
of
the
current
times.
Performances:
Talking
about
the
characters,
every
actor
has
given
their
best.
Dibakar's
chemistry
with
Abhay
Deol
proved
successful
both
critically
and
commercially.
Deol,
portraying
a
South
Indian
IAS
officer,
makes
a
mark
for
his
role
in
the
film.
Though
Kalki
has
somewhat
repeated
her
distressed
characters
in
films
like
Shaitan,
That
Girl
In
Yellow
Boots
and
Dev
D,
no
wonder
her
performance
in
Shanghai
was
just
marvellous.
Coming
to
our
very
own
Mr
Serial
Kisser,
Emraan
Hashmi,
you
can
see
a
completely
new
Emraan
this
time.
Hashmi
has
redefined
his
lover
boy
image
in
Shanghai
and
shines
as
the
vulnerable
Jogi
Parmar.
It
looks
like
Emraan
Hashmi
is
on
a
winning
streak
these
days
after
Jannat
2,
The
Dirty
Picture,
and
now
Shanghai.
Banerjee's
direction
in
Shanghai
is
sure
to
impress
you
with
sensuous
socialism
and
capitalism
ideologies
with
a
strong
story
line.
In
short,
Dibakar
succeeds
in
keeping
us
engrossed
throughout
the
film.
Music:
Coming
to
the
music,
the
song
'Bhaarat
Mata
Ki
Jai'
needs
a
special
mention
as
it
has
created
good
buzz
all
around.
'Imported
Kamariya'
has
also
become
a
chart-buster.
Verdict:
On
the
whole,
Shanghai
is
a
serious
motion
picture
that
has
a
voice,
unlike
the
typical
and
usual
masala
movies.
Shanghai
promises
you
a
lot
of
social
drama,
ruthless
and
brutal
politics
and
the
realism
of
society
that
may
change
your
insight
towards
many
social
aspects.