A small town somewhere in India is poised to become the next Shanghai. Billions of dollars are being poured into an upcoming International Business Park.

On the eve of its launch a drunk truck driver mows down a prominent social activist. A lone girl believes it to be a murder, supported by a porn film maker who claims to have the proof that will bring the government down.

A high ranking bureaucrat is brought in to investigate the accident.

Shanghai, a political thriller, follows the journey of these unlikely heroes as they come together to find justice in the labyrinth of Indian democracy.

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Where does a filmmaker like Dibakar Banerjee go from here? His debut film, the delectableKhosla Ka Ghosla, drew us into the story of a middle-class family fighting to save their land. His second was the engaging indie, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, also among the first films to signal the arrival of the change gripping Bollywood. His third, LSD, was a bold, experimental story of love, sex and betrayal, narrated episodically.

Shanghai, Banerjee’s fourth film, is his best. It’s also a very important film, in addition to being consistently engaging and extremely satiating. Why just make a good film, when you have the wherewithal to make a powerful one? A film that can change perception; one that can make a statement, and push the envelope.

Shanghai does all of that, and does it well. Banerjee brings together great plot (inspired by Greek writer Vassilis Vassilikos' political novel, Z) some very good actors and a bunch of able technicians in a movie that clocks just a little under two hours, but occupies your mind for many after.

Plot

Shanghai is a political thriller set in Bharat Nagar, a fictitious town in India.

IAS officer T.A. Krishnan (Abhay Deol) is the vice-chairman of IBP, a business infrastructure project that is to be executed in the small town of Bharat Nagar. As Krishnan is in the good books of the chief minister of the state, Madamji (Supriya Pathak), and her principal secretary, Kaul (Farooq Sheikh), he is scheduled to be promoted to a higher post. IBP is the brainchild of the CM and her coalition partner. The politicians, whose party workers have a strong hold in Bharat Nagar, are projecting IBP as their pet development project in the state.

Shalini Sahay (Kalki Koechlin) is a young, US-educated daughter of a tainted army officer. She is a part of a group of activists who are opposing the massive displacement of people that IBP entails. Dr. Ahemadi (Prosenjit Chatterjee), Shalini’s former teacher and the leader of the anti-IBP movement, arrives in Bharat Nagar to give a public speech to oppose the infrastructure project. In spite of a death threat, demonstrations by political workers and a reluctant district administration and police, Dr. Ahemadi delivers his speech. But soon after, he is grievously injured when he is hit by a running tempo.

The driver of the tempo, Jaggu (Anant Jog), is apprehended by the police. The other accomplice in the crime, Bhaggu (Pitobash Tripathy), manages to get away. Jogi Parmar (Emraan Hashmi), a local videographer and his boss, who are making recordings for the political party, capture some footage of the moments preceding the mishap.

After a media furore over the incident, Krishnan is asked to head an investigation into the Dr. Ahemadi accident. Kaul makes it amply clear to him that he is just required to be seen doing justice, without going into details of what really happened.

Shalini fights to nail the culprits. Jogi, who is initially reluctant to help Shalini, is forced by circumstances to reconsider his position. Krishnan, on the other hand, is faced with a dilemma when he is presented with incontrovertible evidence which shows that the politicians were involved in the attack. In the meantime, the situation in Bharat Nagar becomes worse and curfew is imposed.

What does Krishnan do? Where does Shalini’s search lead her? What about Jogi? Who ordered the killing of Dr. Ahemadi? What happens to the infrastructure project in Bharat Nagar? The rest of the drama and the climax answer these questions.

Performances

Emraan Hashmi, as the scruffy videographer out for a quick buck, delivers a knockout punch as he masters a complicated role. From his infuriatingly goofy laugh to poor attempts at making conversation, Hashmi proves himself the best of a very fine ensemble. He occasionally shoots porn -- this is off-camera, we see him ask his subjects to clear up and hear the hurried sounds of straps and zippers -- and later, when the film's heroine is about to sit on his bed, he instinctively barks that she sit somewhere else, because the bed's dirty. It's a throwaway grunt but Hashmi nails it -- just like he nails highly energetic pelvic thrusts in a streetdance, one where he keeps biting his tongue, faux-scandalised by the words of the song.

Pitobash Tripathy is a treat, uninhibited enough to propel the narrative forward himself. As the ambitious thug wondering what they call 'mutton' in English, he's a firecracker with a very distinctive screen presence.

While on presence, Bengali veteran Prosenjit Chatterjee is perfectly cast as the unflinching rabble-rouser, commanding even with his matinee-idol persona muted.

Farooque Shaikh is reliably excellent, while Abhay Deol manages to make his silences count. Playing an IAS officer applauding an item song with an eye on a Stockholm assignment, Deol wears his inscrutability thickly and delivers a strong performance.

Kalki Koechlin is given a newly-minted character that is flawed from the start, a too-defiant activist who spends most of the film wound unbearably, annoyingly tight, but this is made up for by a moment near the end of the film where she explodes into a magnificent mess. It's the film's most searingly honest moment.

Overall

Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai walks the thin line between mainstream and meaningful cinema, and does so beautifully.

The music of a Dibakar Banerjee film is not something you watch out for because he is known for making gritty and compelling movies. But when you have Emraan Hashmi in the cast, the music can't go wrong. 'Shanghai' brings together an ensemble of singers and lyricists blending well with the compositions created by Vishal-Shekhar. The soundtrack is indeed imaginative and has something for everyone.

First up is 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. A modern day national anthem, it is a satirical take on the existing state of affairs in the country. It starts on a high note with the beating of drums and a lot of voices have crooned the song together, including Keerti Sagathia and Vishal Dadlani. However, the highlights are the lyrics penned by Dibakar, who has also lent his voice to the track.

It also has a remix version, which is equally good. But musically speaking, it's not too different from the original. It should have got a better treatment from the music directors.

'Imported Kamariya' is a totally opposite song. The item number has very funny lyrics. The best part is Richa Sharma's voice that takes control along with back-up vocals by Vishal-Shekhar. But the composition disappoints as it is not at par with the duo's capabilities. Plus, one simply wonders why they did not remix this one.

'Duaa', penned by Kumaar, starts on a soothing tone with the beautiful voice of Nandini Sirkar. Singers Arijit Singh and Shekhar join her and together they create the perfect track that makes you fall in love with the flow of emotions in it. The composition is equally good with a mix of Indian and Western sounds, but it is the vocals that mesmerises you.

Next on the playlist is 'Khudaaya'. Written by Neelesh Misra, it is a soft romantic number sung by Shekhar. While Vishal is known for his powerful voice, Shekhar too should cash in on his melodious voice. He is an absolute delight to the ears and carries the whole song on his shoulder with Raja Hassan supporting him well.

It also has a remix version that is a passe.

'Morcha', penned by Vishal, is an inspirational number, but not too commanding in terms of the music but scores big in terms of the lyrics that talk about having a strong, corruption free India. Maybe his association with the anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare paved the way for the track. Nonetheless, he does a descent job in the singing department backed by Raja Hassan.

The album rounds up with "Mantra Vishnu Sahasranamam". Sung by Srivatsa Krishna, the devotional chant means the Thousand Names of Vishnu. It helps you connect with your traditional ethos and will definitely manage to garner some support.

Overall, Shanghai is a good package with new musical styles to suit the varying needs of music lovers. The only disappointment is the remixes, but that can be ignored as other songs completely bowl you over.