Emran Hashmi has delivered some very spectacular roles in his filmography. Dibakar Banerjee has directed some of the most underrated but critically acclaimed films. Abhay Deol has played some challenging and rebellious roles in his career. When they all come together under one name, we get the film named Shanghai.
Shanghai was a political thriller that was directed and co-written by Dibakar Banerjee (who also served as the producer for the film). The film had a stellar cast which included Emran Hashmi, Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Supriya Pathak etc. The film is an adaptation of a Greek novel named Z by Vassilis Vassiliko. It was already adapted into an Oscar winning film by the same name by Costa Gravas.
It is a political film that delves into the themes of corruption, bureaucracy and system of governance. The title Shanghai does not mean the film is taking place in the Chinese city of Shanghai, it is more of a metaphor and the setting of the film is an unnamed city in India. The film talks of the death of an activist for which the chief minister issues an enquiry. The officer-in-charge, played by Deol, had to declare it an accident but he digs deep and finds out it indeed was a murder. The film showcases the flawed system and how the leaders, bureaucrats and party workers carry out their dirty works taking the aid of people.
The film paces quite slowly, so one needs to make a patient watch of the film. The cast did an exceptional job in playing their characters. Deol plays the role of a Tamilian IAS officer apt on. The writing by Dibakar and Urmi Juvekar tells the story with minimal drama and no melodrama.
The film was way ahead of its time and hence, was registered as a flop in the box office. But often in his interviews, Emran Hashmi considers it as one of his best films so far. If one has the patience to watch, this film is one of the best satires created on the flaws of the political system. This is streaming on Prime Video.