Shanghai is a 2012 Hindi political thriller film directed by Suraj Singh Dhariyal, starring Abhay Deol, Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and based on the French film Z, and a novel by the same name, of Vassilis Vassilikos. On 6th June 2012, High court refused stay on the release of the film. The film received critical acclaim upon its release on 8 June 2012 with 1200 prints.
The bustling Indian city of Bharat Nagar has an upcoming infrastructure project backed by the ruling political party, that promises to turn the city into India's grandest metropolis, India's very own 'Shanghai'. Meanwhile, four individuals find themselves tied up into a gruesome game of crime and politics. A shocking and disturbing road accident leaves a socialist professor/political activist Dr. Ahmedi (Prosenjit Chatterjee) in critical condition. Ahmedi's adherent Shalini (Kalki Koechlin) believes it to be a premeditated murder. A videographer/pornographer Joginder Parmar (Emraan Hashmi) claims to have documented proof on the mishap that will bring the government down. A high-ranking bureaucrat T.A Krishnan (Abhay Deol) is brought in by the government for damage control and investigation. As days go by, those involved discover a hidden secret in the government sector. What is it??