Jersey
Director: Gowtam Tinnanuri
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Kapur and Ronit Kamra
Remakes can be a tricky business. OTT and the availability of films in other languages with Hindi and English subtitles have made everything accessible. The gap between North and South films is being bridged (and the success of all the South releases is proof). This makes us question whether there is any need for scene-by-scene remakes of popular South films. However, the success of Kabir Singh etched a new story, and it is the same formula with which Shahid Kapoor is back again with Gowtam Tinnanuri’s Jersey.
The director and even the title of the Telugu original, which starred Nani in the lead, have been kept the same. So while an audience, who has watched the original, can’t help but get into comparisons, someone who hasn’t seen the Nani starrer might be up for a good film. The film revolves around Arjun Talwar (Shahid Kapoor) and how he takes a second chance from life to earn respect, at least from his son (played by Ronit Kamra) and be his hero forever. It is the story of emotion and of the spirit to not give up in the face of adversities. It is Arjun’s story all along- of how the star player who had the potential to represent India quits the game, is living a life where he is looked down upon by his wife Vidya (Mrunal Thakur) and how he picks the bat again when he sees that as a way to see respect in his child’s eyes.
Gowtam Tinnanuri knows how to handle his material and make a film that will take audiences through an emotional ride. We had seen it with the original how deft he is. He shows the same deftness with the Hindi remake as well. He has some great actors to show his vision, and he puts all of them to good use.
It is no longer a mystery that Shahid Kapoor is a director’s actor. So give him a good director, and he will shine. He does so with Jersey as well. The actor is impeccable as Arjun and brings out the subdued emotions and the inner dilemma of the character very well. Shahid excels in the sequences where Arjun is torn emotionally, taking the audience along in his journey. He also has the task to nail the cricket sequences, and he does that too with perfection. The hard work that he has put into the film is yielding results.
Mrunal Thakur as Vidya is a treat to watch. She plays the young lover, and the wife fed up with her husband with equal ease. With much shorter screen time, she makes use of every frame that she is given.
Another major character in the film is Arjun’s coach, played by Pankaj Kapur. He plays the father figure who keeps Arjun motivated and guides him. With him, we know that the performance would be top-notch. The film shows how honed his skills are that it rarely requires effort for him to slip into the shoes of his character.
The film can be considered long- given its runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes, but it does not make you feel that. The long sequences of the first half perfectly represent the despair and hopelessness that has crept into Arjun’s, and the shadow of his older self that he has turned into. It keeps the interest of the audience piqued. The second half, however, slows down somewhat in bits and parts. But, by the end, Shahid does hit a sixer, and one would feel the thrill of a nail-biting cricket match.
The music of the film deserves applause and so does the cinematography. In a sports drama, it was important to capture the cricket sequences and while it isn’t the best in the first part, it is beautifully done in the second.
If you have not seen the original, you should definitely give the film a watch.
But is it worth a watch if you have already seen the Telugu original? Well, yes! Watch it for Shahid Kapoor’s superlative performance.
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