By Hindustan Times
Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee and actor Abhay Deol can be showcasing their forthcoming political thriller, Shanghai, to a symposium of 15 batches of IAS officers on June 5. The officials, who can be found in Mussorie for his or her annual meet next month, may be watching the film two days before its international premiere occurs in Singapore.
“My character is from their world, that’s why we wish to show them our film. I AM HOPING we will screen it for some chief ministers as well,” says Abhay, who plays the a part of an IAS officer within the multi-star cast film. He adds, “My character is powerful, opinionated, quiet, straightforward and egotistical.”
To be certain that he got the entire nuances of his characters right, Dibakar spent two months just studying the mannerisms of IAS officers. He says, “I stayed on the IAS Officers’ club in Hyderabad for a couple of days and observed the officials.
How after an early morning game of badminton, they sit and discuss issues over a cup of tea and despite roadblocks at work, they continue practicing achieving their goals; the best way they have interaction with politicians and police officers… I learnt so much. The insight I got into the working of the internal machinery has found its way into the script.”
It was during his stay in Hyderabad that an officer suggested Dibakar screen the film for his colleagues at their annual event in Mussorie. “When the rough cut of the film was shown to an IAS officer, he told us it was quite authentic. He lauded us for the detailing. But now that such a lot of will see it together, they are going to rip us, praise or put us in jail,” he says.
