Director Anurag Basu, whose forthcoming "Metro" zooms in on career stress and peer pressure, says the film shows how big city life affects people and relationships.

With Shilpa Shetty, Kay Kay Menon, Shiney Ahuja, Kangana Ranaut, Konkona SenSharma, Irrfan Khan and Sharman Joshi in the cast, the film is slated to release in January.

Basu claims "Metro" captures real life drama and is a realistic film.

"The film is about how today's big city life impacts people and relationships. We are all working at a breakneck speed. The stress, long working hours, peer pressure and loans take a toll on our personal life.

"The film shows how we get caught up in this vicious circle and everything else takes a backseat. It basically addresses real life issues," he said.

"It's about life in any metro city and not just Mumbai. I have a lot of friends working in call centres and back-offices, struggling to make money. I spoke to them, got to know about their problems and that's how the idea shaped up," Basu added.

"The characters are inspired from my acquaintances like one of my cousins and a few other associates," said the director of "Dus" and "Tum Bin".

He said: "Every character is integral to the script and contributes in a way. Shilpa is married to Kay Kay and they have a sea-facing flat. They get busy paying instalments and love takes a backseat.

"Konkona 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 studies, does her post-graduation, hunts for a job and gets busy with her career. One fine day, she realises that she's 30 and still single.

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