Bollywood director Dibakar Banerjee gestures while addressing the media while actress Kalki Koechlin looks on during a promotional press conference held for their upcoming movie Shanghai. (AFP)
It’s a short film to commemorate 100 years of cinema. Actors from Marathi stage and people who’ve never worked in front of the camera, are part of the film.
Emraan Hashmi was an unconventional choice for Shanghai. What made you cast him?
I noticed a huge, untapped potential in him in all his earlier films. He had that quality of being convincing in the worst of scripts. Someone who can make bad material look good deserves good material.
Now that you are based out of Mumbai, what’s the one thing you miss the most about Delhi?
I miss Delhi winters the most.
What’s your take on the Rs. 100 crore club?
I hope the club stays and grows to many more crores. Films as they do more business boost the confidence of audience and investors alike and everybody benefits. What needs to change is the role that content plays in it rather than just the star.