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Shanghai Movie Review
Ratings:3.5/5 Reviewer:Rajeev Masand Site:CNN IBN (IBNLive)
Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai is a crisp, take-no-prisoners drama about seeking justice in the complex landscape of the Indian democracy. The film benefits from the compelling performances of its cast and the director’s sharp eye for detail while narrating a simplistic, and at times predictable story that traces the inevitable nexus between Indian politics and crime.The grand revelation in the end is a tad underwhelming, and the big evidence far too conveniently acquired. Yet, Shanghai is consistently watchable despite these lapses. I'm going with three-and-a-half out of five for Dibakar Banerjee’s 'Shanghai'. It’s a good film from one of Hindi cinema’s most exciting filmmakers, just not great.Visit Site for more
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Taran Adarsh Site:Bollywood Hungama
Political thrillers are a much abused genre, but it's not frequently that movies confer us with what SHANGHAI offers: A political thriller wherein the politics seizes precedence over the thriller element. It's more of a reality check about where India stands in the present day. Most significantly, it's a film of our times. It evokes myriad emotions in you. It leaves you horrified, distressed… it may even make you livid. I'd go to the extent of pronouncing that SHANGHAI is one of the bravest and most commanding movies of this decade. A contemporary film about our times, our lives. On the whole, SHANGHAI is undeniably one of the most politically astute films ever made. It keeps you involved and concerned right from its inception to the harrowing culmination. This is not your usual Bollywood masala film, but a serious motion picture that has a voice, that makes you think, that makes a stunning impact. A must watch!Visit Site for more
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Anupama Chopra Site:Hindustan Times
Writer-director Dibakar Banerjee and co-writer Urmi Juvekar tell this brutal story with minimal drama. There is nothing high-pitched here, except Kalki’s one-note performance.Shanghai warms up slowly, so you need to have patience — especially in the first half. But the pleasure of the film is in the details. Shanghai doesn’t provide the comfort of answers or happy endings. But it forces us to ask urgent questions. It is the best Hindi film I’ve seen this year. I strongly urge you to make time for it.Visit Site for more
Ratings:3.5/5 Reviewer:Madhureeta Mukherjee Site:Times of India
It's gut-wrenching, it's 'Made in India', unadulterated, 100% desi maal. Hardly sasta, but tikau. Nothing imported. The story pulsates in the heartland of India. Rising from the bed of desi politics, stained with the blood of hatred, guilt and treachery. . The story-telling is embossed with naked realism, rawness and brutal honesty. Be it blood stained bodies, close-ups of blackened faces, or ugliness (of body and soul) - he bares it with gut, grit and gore. The story is predictable (expect for a few scenes), and the revelations that follow, don't send shockwaves or make your bellies churn.Yet, reality stings. Sometimes more than the 'dengue and malaria' in our very own hinterland.Whether Shanghai is off-beat or mainstream is debatable, but if you thrive on rustic realistic cinema, however heavy-duty - this is your pick.Visit Site for more
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Raja Sen Site:Rediff
so strident is Dibakar Banerjee's voice as a filmmaker that even this adaptation -- of Vassilis Vassilikos' Z, about a wholly different time and political situation -- is turned into a strikingly relevant story of our times and our crimes.Banerjee must be lauded for not dumbing things down and creating a mature, serious film that engages, thrills and amuses.Shanghai is all Dibakar, who we must lift on our shoulders with grateful pride. And we must exult in the fact that this D is never silent.Visit Site for more
Ratings:3/5 Reviewer:Omar Qureshi Site:Zoom Review Show
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Saibal Chatterjee Site:NDTV
Here at long last is a Hindi film that dares to defy the conventions of its chosen genre. Shanghai is a no-frills but searing political thriller that is under-wired with intelligence and nerve, both cinematic and ideological.Shanghai draws much of its strength from a taut screenplay (Urmi Juvekar and Dibakar Banerjee) that never overplays its hand and leaves a lot to the imagination of the audience.Shanghai projects the dark, dank, redolent-with-danger innards of small-town India to absolute perfection.The film articulates a simmering rage at the sorry state of affairs in a country that is purportedly poised on the cusp of economic superpower status, but it does so neither through screechy bluster nor by means of preachy sermons.Visit Site for more
Ratings:3.5/5 Reviewer:Shubhra Gupta Site:Indian Express
Here, he is clearly on the outside. ‘Shanghai’ is a good film. Most of it is scarily plausible, sharply observed and sharply executed, except that distance which has Banerji telegraph some of his punches, making ‘Shanghai’ stop just this short of being great. But it is an important, relevant film that demands to be watched not just for what it is saying, but for how it is saying it -- angrily, fearlessly, pointing out, as a line in one of the film’s songs puts it, both the ‘gur’ and the ‘gobar’ in this, our Bharat.Visit Site for more
Ratings:4.5/5 Reviewer:Aniruddha Guha Site:DNA
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.The pace is breakneck. Banerjee and co-writer Urmi Juvekar pen a tight screenplay, one that gives you little room to breathe, the story moving swiftly. Shanghai is not the kind of film where one-liners come thick and fast, yet dialogues have gravity. To sum, Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai walks the thin line between mainstream and meaningful cinema, and does so beautifully. The rare, well-deserving Rs100cr film? Who cares? There’s more to cinema than box office records and opening weekend numbers; Shanghai is the perfect example. Watch.Visit Site for more
Ratings:4/5 Reviewer:Vivek Bhatia Site:Filmfare
Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai is one such political thriller. This terrific film hits you like a hurricane and terrifies you to bits. It has an abiding effect that will haunt you even hours after you’ve left the theatre. Shanghai works not just because it excels in its genre. But for the people that you see in the film – their problems, actions and the situations thrown at them which the audience can easily relate to. The gritty milieu and an equally edgy soundtrack play an important role in keeping you engaged. The real hero of the film is Dibakar Banerjee. At the very start of the film he puts all his cards on the table. Yet, he succeeds in keeping us engrossed. In less than two hours, he packs a riveting drama with a sledge hammer of a social message. No gimmicks, just good old story-telling.Visit Site for more
Ratings:3.5/5 Reviewer:Mayank Shekhar Site:Dainik Bhaskar
Between artistry and analysis, Dibakar Bannerjee, one of the most exciting filmmakers around, chooses to entertain first. He doesn’t shy away from slipping in an “item number” either. Yet, in its breathless pace, the film sadly fails to shine any light on several facets of democracy that would play key roles in a high-profile case such as this – opposition parties, for one, higher judiciary, for another. This is that universal story of modern India, interestingly told, enticingly captured. It must be watched, and relished, for sure.Visit Site for more
Ratings:4.5/5 Reviewer:Mrigank Dhaniwala Site:Koimoi
What’s Good: The engaging script; superlative performances; direction. What’s Bad: The screenplay is of the kind which might not appeal to the lay viewers. Verdict: Shanghai is a classy, entertaining fare. Watch or Not?: Definitely watch Shanghai for the superb performances.Visit Site for more
