In Jersey, Arjun Talwar (Shahid Kapoor) casts a glimpse towards his kid, who is seen in the spectators applauding and shouting for him after an outstanding performance in a cricket match. He notices a newfound regard in the small one’s eyes for him at that little instant. He marches towards the pavilion, his head held high, overflowing with feelings.
‘A parent is a son’s first hero,’ as the saying goes, and filmmaker Gowtam Tinnauri makes this point emphatically in his Bollywood debut film Jersey. This Shahid Kapoor-Mrunal Thakur starrer is a direct copy of Tinnauri’s 2019 Telugu sports drama of the same title, which starred Nani and Shraddha Srinath in prominent parts.
When it comes to remakes, one of the most difficult problems is avoiding parallels to the original content. Filmmaker Gowtam Tinnauri deserves credit for capturing the soul of Nani’s starring movie Jersey in this Shahid Kapoor movie. The writer-director ensures that you cheer for the character both on and off the field in this movie as well.
Tinnari recounts the story of a late bloomer who isn’t a pin-up idol, but rather a living illustration of ‘Zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahin.’ The cricket routines he does are also worth seeing. Jersey, for me, is more of a touching father-son narrative than a triumphant account. Jersey, on the other hand, had a poor start to the game before the break. To make the picture more tight, Tinnauri might have simply cut a few moments.
Jersey, on the other hand, had a poor start to the game before the break. To make the picture more tight, Tinnauri might have simply cut a few scenes.
Nani received several awards in 2019 for his depiction of a failing cricketer who is adored by his family in Jersey. Shahid Kapoor also manages to pull off a similar trick in the Hindi version. While Gowtam Tinnauri sticks to the original plot in terms of conveying it, Kapoor as an actor adds a lot of additional elements to the plote. He entirely surrenders himself to his role, from his flashy stride and language as an aggressive batsman to his charming antics as a caring and loving parent. If Kabir Singh introduced us to a new-age ‘angry young man’ in Shahid Kapoor, Jersey presents us to a dad who will not let his kid down at any cost, even if it means paying a high price. Shahid is about to give you another incredible performance! His sequences with his young co-star Ronit Kamra, who also appears in the Telugu film, are heartfelt.
Mrunal Thakur takes on the role of Shahid Kapoor’s life partner, taking over from Shraddha Srinath. In terms of emotional quotient, the actress does a fantastic job in her performance and lends a lot of sincerity to her portrayal.
Pankaj Kapur once again demonstrates why he is one of India’s most talented actors. If Shahid Kapoor is the soul of Jersey, his father, Coach Bhalla, is the core of this sports drama as Arjun’s largest support system. This father-son team delivers some heartfelt moments altogether. In their performances as reporter Jasleen Sheirgill and Arjun’s kid Ketan, Geetika Mahendru and Prit Kamani are excellent.