Shanghai

A large infrastructure project is announced in an Indian town: the district will become an international business centre, and the state presents it as a promise of development. A well known activist opposing it comes to a rally, and a car hits him the same night. The accident is not an accident. Krishnan, the civil servant appointed to investigate, is quiet, correct and mindful of his career; his only evidence is footage shot by a local videographer. Dibakar Banerjee directs. Abhay Deol plays Krishnan, Emraan Hashmi plays Joginder the cameraman, and Kalki Koechlin plays Shalini, the activist's student. The source is Vassilis Vassilikos's novel Z, which Costa-Gavras also filmed in 1969. Banerjee moves the story from Greece to India and joins it to the politics of development. The subject is not a murder but a system. The narrative shows step by step how the investigation is obstructed, how much each institution knows, and where the official himself stands. Krishnan is outside the type; not a hero, cautious to the end, and late to decide. Emraan Hashmi had been known for romantic films and the part counted as a turn in his career. Who it is for: viewers who like political thrillers and Indian independent cinema. Who it is not for: the narrative is dense, there are many characters, and details are lost without the local political context.