There was a lot of hype surrounding "Kahani" - the Vidya Balan starrer as a thriller. I was a tad disappointed. The movie was a plain drama with an interesting twist in the end. To call it a thriller would be an overkill. But Shanghai delivers what you can expect out of a thriller perhaps not in a sixth sense way but definitely somewhere up above kahani. The setting for the plot is contemporary which you would be reading in everyday newspapers if you were in India. The struggle between the land seeking corporates and the native resident holding on to what is his. Be it Posco in Orissa, Tatas in West Bengal or any of the national infrastructure projects the process on securing land remains one of biggest challenges given the vote bank politics and rampant corruption.
In the case of shanghai, its about a seemingly progressive party trying to throw its weight between setting up of an International business park and a seemingly socialist leader fighting for the rights of the residents. The attempted murder of the socialist leader which leaves him on the death bed is where the real movie begins. It brings to light the different stakeholders and how they react to the situation. The loyal followers trying to secure justice, the investigative team whose verdict seems to be a foregone conclusion, the police trying to find someone to pin it on and the political parties doing everything to keep their heads high. The suspense lies in figuring out who's behind all of this.
The characters in the movie are realistic and flawed as you would expect them to be in real life. These are characters driven by basic human tendencies and emotions and people you could relate to in your everyday life as against the larger than life characters we're accustomed to watching in movies - The investigative officer brilliantly portrayed by Abhay Deol struggling between his own personal ambition and conscience; The loyal followers led by Kalki kochein trying to ensure justice is meted out and would stop at nothing; The small town pornographer/videographer Emraan Hashmi going through a transformation during the course of the movie to ensure that those who laid ways to his friends death meet their rightful end.
The movie also has other characters who have been given sufficient footage to ensure that the plot progresses smoothly be it the epitome of Indian administrative bureaucracy played by Farooq sheikh trying to close out the case with minimal damage, the actual assailants who tried to murder. It also brings to light the current state of coalition politics where each partnership is need based and you move on as soon as you find a much formidable partner.
The end in itself does not come as a total surprise but has enough surprise element to keep the audience interested. The other likable fact of the movie is that it leaves of lot of things unsaid and leaves it to common sense. The raw nature of the visuals and the loud celebrations are something that you can relate to in your everyday life. A special word on the performances - I think Abhay Deol steals the show with his understated performance playing the role of of a Tamil investigative officer. He portrays conflicting emotions naturally wishing it wasn't him who has to deal with these in fact hoping that postponing them would make them go away. Emraan Hashmi plays a Rajput who comes over to the city running away from the troubles he has in his home town and trying to make ends meet. It is a role you would never expect Emraan to see in. Every time he flashes a smile you can see his stained teeth and laugh at his butler english. The movie is serious except for the light moments created by Emraan Hashmi but then you don't go to watch a political thriller expecting comedy. Do you?
In the case of shanghai, its about a seemingly progressive party trying to throw its weight between setting up of an International business park and a seemingly socialist leader fighting for the rights of the residents. The attempted murder of the socialist leader which leaves him on the death bed is where the real movie begins. It brings to light the different stakeholders and how they react to the situation. The loyal followers trying to secure justice, the investigative team whose verdict seems to be a foregone conclusion, the police trying to find someone to pin it on and the political parties doing everything to keep their heads high. The suspense lies in figuring out who's behind all of this.
The characters in the movie are realistic and flawed as you would expect them to be in real life. These are characters driven by basic human tendencies and emotions and people you could relate to in your everyday life as against the larger than life characters we're accustomed to watching in movies - The investigative officer brilliantly portrayed by Abhay Deol struggling between his own personal ambition and conscience; The loyal followers led by Kalki kochein trying to ensure justice is meted out and would stop at nothing; The small town pornographer/videographer Emraan Hashmi going through a transformation during the course of the movie to ensure that those who laid ways to his friends death meet their rightful end.
The movie also has other characters who have been given sufficient footage to ensure that the plot progresses smoothly be it the epitome of Indian administrative bureaucracy played by Farooq sheikh trying to close out the case with minimal damage, the actual assailants who tried to murder. It also brings to light the current state of coalition politics where each partnership is need based and you move on as soon as you find a much formidable partner.
The end in itself does not come as a total surprise but has enough surprise element to keep the audience interested. The other likable fact of the movie is that it leaves of lot of things unsaid and leaves it to common sense. The raw nature of the visuals and the loud celebrations are something that you can relate to in your everyday life. A special word on the performances - I think Abhay Deol steals the show with his understated performance playing the role of of a Tamil investigative officer. He portrays conflicting emotions naturally wishing it wasn't him who has to deal with these in fact hoping that postponing them would make them go away. Emraan Hashmi plays a Rajput who comes over to the city running away from the troubles he has in his home town and trying to make ends meet. It is a role you would never expect Emraan to see in. Every time he flashes a smile you can see his stained teeth and laugh at his butler english. The movie is serious except for the light moments created by Emraan Hashmi but then you don't go to watch a political thriller expecting comedy. Do you?
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