Chinese writer Guo Jingming. Photo provided to China Daily

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Guo believes filmmaking is not more high-brow than his literary agency and magazine. He says his role in the movie is that of project manager - although his on-set workforce of 300 is about five times that of his company.

"I have supreme control over this project but must compromise every day," Guo says.

He recalls using connections to rent a posh and difficult-to-obtain Shanghai venue for three days, but the actress caught fever in Taiwan. Her late arrival meant they had to shoot a daytime scene at night. So, cranes dangled massive amounts of lighting equipment from about 50 meters away.

"It will never be as natural as scenes actually shot in daylight, but that just has to be accepted," Guo says.

He understands accepting that, which is great but not "perfect".

He's often derided online for his 1.5-meter height. A Shanghai theater launched a campaign in which people shorter than him could watch his film for half price.

"That's malicious," he says.

"But I won't argue. I was born this way, and I've earned everything I have. I did it with my own hands. Doesn't that say something?"

One thing Guo wouldn't say anything about is the 2006 plagiarism lawsuit he lost.

But his books continue to sell rapidly despite his legal problems. He has topped the annual bestsellers' list for eight years since 2003.

Instead, he steers conversation toward his film. Part of it was shot in his other central Shanghai residence set against the backdrop of the city's fifth-highest skyscraper, Plaza 66.

The metropolis serves as nearly all his books' backdrop. The city became his favorite since he moved there from a small town in Sichuan province 11 years ago, after he won the top prize in a national writing contest.

"It's the best and worst city," Guo says.

"It has everything one needs. But it also has the most yawning, despairing gap between the rich and the poor. It's a microcosm of our time."