Shanghai's Two 'Unsuitable Boys'

After films like Khosla Ka Ghosla, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye and LSD – Love, Sex And Dhoka, Dibakar Banerjee is back with another film. And, this time, it's about politics. Titled Shanghai, the film is inspired by Vassilis Vassilikos's novel Z. Banerjee wrote the screenplay keeping the Indian audience in mind.

Banerjee has worked with Abhay Deol before but audiences want to know why he cast Emraan Hashmi. Here's what the actors have to say about their respective roles, and Banerjee on why he chose these two male protagonists.

Dibakar On Why the film is called Shanghai

We have heard that the powers-that-be want to turn Mumbai into Shanghai. It's about our country; it's also about who we are and where we are. And it's a murder mystery and what follows.

We all know that Mumbai was supposed to be turned into a Shanghai but we still haven't got there. The story is about the obstacles to this goal and the people preventing our city from becoming like that. But everyone knows why our city can't become like Shanghai; The film is just a reminder. The film is about a dream called Shanghai and a truth called India.

Dibakar on Emraan Hashmi

His character is a shady guy trying to make it and go uptown. When I was wondering whom to cast, I recalled Emraan Hashmi's performance in Footpath. After that, everything became relatable; how the posh urban class love to look down at him. It was a joy to create this perverted character. We gave him a tan and dark circles; we gave him a new hairstyle; and he gained a little weight. All this took about three months.

When he read the script and heard the narration, he knew that, through this film, he could prove he was more than a 'serial kisser'.

Emraan on playing Jogi Parmar

I was happy when Dibakar said he wanted a paunchy look. I have always wanted to play the part of a character physicality as well. This character is not like me at all… tanned look, the way he speaks, his teeth. We had a look-test and it was finalised. Dibakar can bring the best out of his actors.

My character is kind of shady. He is a model co-coordinator, a small-time journalist, and he shoots po*n films by night. That has to come out. But I don't have any kissing scenes in this film.

Dibakar on Abhay Deol

I needed an actor who could act as a Tam brat (Tamil guy); who could assume the persona of a very conservative, almost boring, cool kind of guy. Somebody who is around 40. Abhay is completely the opposite; he is closer to 30. Abhay is not a Tam brat; he is a Punjabi from Mumbai. Abhay is not a bureaucrat; he is not boring. Therefore, Abhay was the most unsuitable guy to act the part, and again, I had reason to cast him.

His character is a seasoned bureaucrat who keeps his feelings in check. He speaks with his eyes; he observes everything but you can never tell what he is thinking.

Abhay on playing a Tamil character

I had to work on my accent to sound like a South Indian. But we did not want to cast him as stereotype, where I sounded like a Tamilian. The moment I dressed up like him, I became the character.

But to get into the character, I took some training. For instance, to get to know the language for the dialogue.

Kalki on playing Shalini

Shalini is young, passionate and a very, very angry girl. All these traits come naturally to me. But it was Dibakar who drew the best out of everyone. There were many scenes which were sensitive. There was a scene where I had to beat a man with a utensil, and Dibakar told me, "You have to hit like a golf shot." He made me practice it over and over. I don't know what happened to the man after that!

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