By Swati R Chaudhary, Bollywood Trade News Network

Anurag Basu is enthusiasm personified about his forthcoming film METRO. He seems completely enamored with the theme of the film and emphasizes that everyone will be able to relate to the film.

"METRO is about how today's big city life impacts people and relationships. We all are working at breakneck speed with no time to pause for a breath. The stress, long working hours, peer pressure and EMI's can take a toll on personal life. It shows how we get caught up in this vicious cycle and everything else takes a backseat. It basically addresses real life issues," enthuses Basu.

METRO focuses on mundane problems and so people from every city, every place would be able to identify with the concept. Basu interacted with many people from different fields to get an insight into the subject. "It's about life in any metro city and not just Mumbai. I have a lot of non filmy friends working in call centres, back-offices, etc. struggling to make money. I spoke to them, got to know about their problems and that's how the idea shaped up. So METRO captures real life drama and is a realistic film. The characters are inspired from my acquaintances like one of my cousins and a few other associates," adds the prolific director.

The casting comprises of Shilpa Shetty, Kay Kay Menon, Shiney Ahuja, Kangana Ranaut, Konkona Sen Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Sharman Joshi. Prod him about the characters and he says, "Every character is integral to the script and contributes in a way. Shilpa Shetty is married to Kay Kay and they have a sea facing flat. They get busy paying instalments and love takes a backseat."

"Konkona Sen plays a fun character unlike the serious, mature roles she's done earlier. METRO shows her in a different light, something that she's never done before. She's essaying the character of a girl every girl would identify with. She studies, does her post graduation, hunts for a job and gets busy with her career. One fine day on her 30th birthday she realises that she's 30 and still single. She's not yet married and there's no guy in her life."

"Sharman and Kangana work in a call centre. Their rapport explores the call centre culture rampant today. Youngsters today are driven by money and success and Sharman's character falls in that category," Basu wraps up.

This director is surely not resting on his laurels post GANGSTER. The shooting has started and the film is slated to release in January next year.