Shanghai (Hindi)

Release Date:
June 08, 2012

A political activist meets with an accident in an Indian city gearing up for elections. A lone girl believes it to be a murder. A porn film maker claims to have proof that will bring the government down. A high ranking bureaucrat is brought in by the government to damage control. The three of them blow the lid off the Indian dream called Shanghai.

A political activist meets with an accident in an Indian city gearing up for elections. A lone girl believes it to be a... Show More

The Pucca Critic

Editor   Jun 09, 2012 14:11  1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

Before I start, let me tell you that I haven't read Vassillis Vasilikov's Z and neither have I seen the Academy Award winning film by Costa-Gavras. Shanghai based on the same book, for me, comes as an original standalone in Hindi cinema by the double time National Award winner Dibakar Bannerjee.

The truly great films portray truths, and they portray them in a way that hits close to home. While the characters in this film are a tad removed from touching a raw nerve, this is still a thought-provoking, tongue-in-cheek depiction of the Great Indian Political Farce. It is a dog-eat-dog world in Bharatnagar. In governmental corridors, the ever-present babudom and the power of the public “servant”, ensures deep-rooted corruption.

This is a great film. Go see it.

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

Wogma

Editor   Jun 08, 2012 09:21  0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

Visually appealing because of raw, rugged ambience and characters, Shanghai ultimately ends up being yet another political drama that chooses the quick-fix, short-cut. In a film that has shades in characters that are unique to Hindi cinema, the patch-up job in the writing of the climax is a serious let down.

Dibakar Banerjee's "Shanghai" offers the audience an unimposing perspective of the imposing fuzziness; and with a distinct aroma as alluring as the foul smell of one's own waste.