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Jersey (U/A) 22/Apr/2022 Sports, Drama 2hrs 50mins

Critics Review

Shahid kapoor hits a century in a film that's just too long.

ersey stays true to the sports drama genre it belongs to and it strikes a fine balance between the game and emotional side of a sportsperson. Only if the makers had worked a little harder on the editing table and brought it to two-hour something, it would have been an ideal and crisp watch. (more)

Source: HT Entertainment Desk, Hindustan Times

Shahid Kapoor delivers emotional innings in this fitting remake

Director Gowtam Tinnanuri sticks to his original plot and treatment as far as the film goes, the setting and characters are now in North India. Jersey isn't the stereotypical sports film where you expect cheers and loud applause for every six and a four. It is a serious film and it deals with deeper issues than those that meet the eye. (more)

Source: Tushar Joshi, India Today

Shahid Kapoor film is sincere but lacklustre

An emotional end, even if it feels very last-minute, provides the essential drama that a movie like this needs. That, and the message that it�s never too late to make your dreams come true. (more)

Source: shubhra Gupta, Indian Express

Shahid Kapoor's Star Turn Holds The Film Together

Jersey is, in the end, a story of loss and hope, tragedy and tenacity, the vicissitudes of fate and the assertion of the human spirit. It is told with a fair degree of flair until the 'explosive' cricket action gets in the way.The best way to enjoy the film, therefore, would be to discount the flatness of the one-way cricketing action - everything Arjun does on the field is crowned with success, so one is never exactly waiting with bated breath to find out how his outings with the bat are going to pan out - and concentrate on the unfolding and shifting family drama that is on offer. (more)

Source: Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV Movies

Shahid Kapoor and Mrunal Thakur Jersey rests on outstanding performances, emotional moments, and the touching finale.

Gowtam Tinnanuri's direction is fair. The pain and dilemma that the protagonist goes through come out very well. Hence, one is connected to the character from start to finish. There are some heroic scenes in the film that are helmed in a commercial manner. When it comes to the emotional quotient, Gowtam gives his best. On the flipside, he has made a scene-by-scene remake of the Telugu original film. Those who have seen it will not find anything novel here. Moreover, at 171 minutes, the film is needlessly lengthy. (more)

Source: Bollywood Hungama, Bollywood Hungama

A well-pitched father-son drama

Even though this is a sports-led drama, you don't quite encounter too many of those nail-biting, edge-of-the-seat moments, though whatever you see engages you, especially if you have not seen the original. This film leans more on emotional drama, while it could have struck a finer balance between the sports and the human drama. (more)

Source: Archika Khurana, Times Of India

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Jersey movie review: Shahid Kapoor hits a century in a film that's just too long

Jersey movie review: shahid kapoor delivers one of his best performances. however, the film's length works against it..

After Kabir Singh, Shahid Kapoor returns to the big screen with Jersey, almost after three years since his last film released. And you don’t feel he has changed one bit, at least as far as his look is concerned. However, his Arjun Talwar in Jersey is far calmer and restrained that the rowdy, angry Kabir Singh. Playing a talented but failed cricketer, a doting father, and a husband trying hard to save his marriage from falling apart, he carries the film on his able shoulders. While he hits it out of the park each time he’s on the field, the film shines in patches and with a disrupted narrative, often loses pace. (Also read: Jersey celeb review: Shahid Kapoor gets praises from 'lil bro' Ishaan Khatter, Varun Dhawan and more )

A Hindi remake of the 2019 Telugu film by the same name, Jersey has been written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, who also helmed the original. And no prize for guessing, the remake is a scene by scene copy of the original, much like most other south Indian films that get remade in Bollywood.

Jersey traces the tale of an exceptionally talented Ranji player Arjun Talwar (Shahid Kapoor), who quits cricket at the age of 26 and after 10 years, decides to revive his career and return to the game. In the process, Arjun wants to fulfil his son Kitu’s (Ronit Kamra) desire for a jersey and dream of seeing his father play cricket. Along this journey, Arjun goes through emotional turmoil and confrontations with his wife Vidya Talwar (Mrunal Thakur) who bears all the financial burden of the family.

But despite all helplessness, nothing seems to stop Arjun from following his dream of playing for the Indian national cricket team. He finds support in his coach Madhav Sharma (Pankaj Kapur), who also acts as a father figure to him.

High on emotion, Jersey lacks on the intrigue value that would keep you hooked. And the nearly three-hour runtime of the film makes it only worse.

To begin with, Arjun and Vidya’s romance and their struggle to convince her South Indian father to marry her daughter into a Punjabi household gets a bit too stretched. Even as the director tries to infuse a slight humour in these scenes using typical tropes of differences between North and South India cultures, the jokes fall flat.

In the entire first half, we only get to hear two things over and over again - son wanting a jersey and the father struggling to arrange ₹ 500 to buy that. It’s only the second half that story starts moving forward. Also, the film’s only big reveal that comes during the climax didn’t really overwhelm me. I wish the makers had thought of a different twist to make the story stand out from the original.

More than sports, Jersey highlights the dynamics of relationships - between a father and a son, a husband and a wife, a player and a coach, a failed cricketer and his friends. And that, I felt, lent a beautiful depth to the film. The endearing performances while displaying these bonds actually take the cake.

Shahid doesn’t go overboard with his performance and stays understated. His expressions of anger, frustration, helplessness, happiness and victory strike the right chord. I felt the Punjabi touch spread rather unevenly and tediously in his dialogues, could have been avoided. Nevertheless, this would definitely be among his finest performances.

Mrunal as the working wife and mother does her job well and doesn’t look forced in the script. The film gives ample scope to her to perform and she lets her expressions and eyes do most of the talking. Mrunal’s chemistry with Shahid isn’t superlative but works to an extent that they don’t look odd.

Ronit Kamra as Shahid and Mrunal’s onscreen son is the same kid from the original, and is as good in the Hindi remake, too. His scenes with Shahid are just delightful and you can connect with the bond this father-son duo share on screen. And then there’s Pankaj Kapur, veteran in the truest sense and a character that you instantly fall in love with. Even in the handful scenes he has, he picks up little nuances and brings the much-needed comic relief, too.

The scenes on the cricket field have been beautifully shot and cinematographer Anil Mehta captures the game in a magnificent way.

To sum up, Jersey stays true to the sports drama genre it belongs to and it strikes a fine balance between the game and emotional side of a sportsperson. Only if the makers had worked a little harder on the editing table and brought it to two-hour something, it would have been an ideal and crisp watch.

• Shahid Kapoor

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Jersey Movie Review: Shahid Kapoor rises to roar and revolt as a cricketer in this sports drama

Jersey is a faithful remake staying true to the world of the original - Here's the Pinkvilla review of this Shahid Kapoor fronted sport drama.

Movie Name: Jersey

Director: Gowtam Tinnanuri

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Kapur

Platform: Theatrical

Rating: 3.5 stars

Life is all about second chances – some get it and make the most of it, whereas most let it go to choose the safer route. The Gowtam Tinnanuri directed Jersey revolves around the life of Arjun Talwar, who despite being termed the best cricketer of India, gives up on his ambition.  10 years down the lane, he picks up the bat again to fulfil the little dreams of his son, Karan Talwar. Why did Arjun quit the game? Does he succeed in making a comeback? Watch Jersey to know this.

Gowtam Tinnanuri uses the first half to establish his character as an underdog with references to his days of glory. While Arjun is down and out, the set up in the film creates curiosity as to what resulted in him giving up on the sport. There are multiple tracks in the backdrop - ranging from the conflict between Arjun and his wife, Vidya (Mrunal Thakur) to the temperamental issues of Arjun- which force the audience to create their own theories on Arjun's backstory. The first half is a slow burn, but the intermission block hits the right note. Ditto for the prolonged climax, which works on aesthetic as also the emotional front.

The story progresses in the second half and it’s the mystery around Arjun’s past that keeps the interest intact. The husband-and-wife conflict is among the major drawbacks, the cricketing scenes stand out. At a run time of 2 hour and 45 minutes, Jersey could have been shorter by at-least 15 minutes as there are ample loose ends in the narrative, but the story has its heart at the right place. Too much influx of Punjabi might turn off a segment of the audience, but that’s a minor issue which can be ignored in the larger scheme of things. The film is too high on drama with little happening on the comic front, which might be an issue for some, more so because of the prolonged run time. Some tender moments through the narrative work wonderfully, so do the sequences comprising of Arjun and his friends side by side the element of redemption.

On the technical front, the cricket choreography is near perfect with actual cricket shots devoid of any visual effects. In-fact, the style of shooting the sport as also the technicalities of batting and bowling are a lot better than most of the cricket based films. Shahid plays like a champion cricketer, paying ample attention to small aspects like his stance, foot work as also the key points of game play. The background score is also strong whereas the music gels well with the narrative. It’s among the rare Hindi films in today’s time with genuinely hummable music. The dialogues are average, whereas production values are rich with a good attempt at recreating the era gone by.

Jersey belongs to Shahid Kapoor. Time and again, he keeps proving why he is among the best actors of India as he is simply brilliant as Arjun Talwar. He underplays himself in the first half and brings in the inherent swag in the flashback portions. While the film promos gave a hangover of Kabir Singh in his performance, there is a stark difference between the two worlds. Watch out for his emotional outburst at a railway station in the early portions of second half when he makes it to the Punjab cricket team. Mrunal Thakur is sincere in her performance but deserved a better sketched out character. Some of the core conflicts of the film between the husband and wife are devoid of a thread that brings them all together. Pankaj Kapur as coach, Madhav Sharma, is reliable as always. He has some lighthearted moments with his son, and their comfort level on the screen is a treat to watch. Ronit Kamra as Arjun and Vidya’s kid, Karan, is decent for his role. The rest of the ensemble do well.

All in all, Jersey is a well-intentioned sport drama, which much like the original, has heart at its right place. It rides on superlative performance by Shahid Kapoor, who rises to roar and revolt as a cricketer. While the pace is an issue, especially in the first half, and the runtime could have been kept under check, the cricketing sequences and the emotional core in the finale leads to a satisfying experience. It’s a faithful remake staying true to the world of the original.

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Film Journalist

Film Journalist and trade analyst. With over 9 years of experience, every day, Himesh attempts to be credible with exclusive and authentic news breaks in the era of click baits. With an MBA in Finance, he believes numbers bring in an element of objectivity in life. At Pinkvilla, he reports and analyzes the box office collections of feature films and has broken over 1000 exclusive stories. In the past, Himesh has worked with Mumbai Mirror, Catch News, and Bollywood Hungama.

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Jersey Review: Shahid Kapoor's Star Turn Holds The Film Together

Jersey review: on the acting front, shahid is the man of the match. the team effort behind him is strengthened by the performances from mrunal thakur and ronit kamra, a confident child actor..

Jersey : Shahid Kapoor in a still from the film.(courtesy: shahidkapoor )

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Kapur, Ronit Kamra

Director: Gowtam Tinnanuri

Rating : 2.5 stars (out of 5)

A man's undying passion for cricket, a father's life-altering promise to his seven-year-old son and a husband's many failings in a marriage between unlike poles provide the warp and weft of Jersey , writer-director Gowtam Tinnanuri's remake of his 2019 Telugu hit of the same title. Parts of it are a snug fit. But segments of the 170-minute film, now out in the theatres after numerous postponements, could have done with some pruning.

The emotional chords that Jersey hits, especially those that pertain to the father-son relationship, make the right music, but perfect consonance eludes the film because far too much of it is devoted to the sporting action around which the story revolves.

The cricket on view suffers the repercussions of overkill and tends to be monotonous, predictable and exaggerated. It is worsened by the shallowness of the running commentary, which of course is the bane of most Indian sports dramas driven by the belief that the audience needs constant spoon feeding.

On the field, Jersey is an unending flurry of maximums, a large percentage of them flowing from the bat of the protagonist; off it, the film strings together some delicate cuts and glances in service of a poignant tale of a man desperate to make up for lost time.

While much of the credit for what works in Jersey should accrue to Tinnanuri's screenplay, it is Shahid Kapoor's star turn that holds the film together. The actor is impressively restrained and layered as he fleshes out a man dealing with the consequences of the missed chances and quirks of destiny that, despite his stupendous feats as a batsman in first-class cricket, stopped him short of greatness

In a brief prelude, a young man walks into a bookstore in Bangalore - the Telugu Jersey opens in Times Square, New York - and picks up the last copy of a bestselling cricket biography. The next scene reveals that the book is about his father, "the best batsman of his time".

It is about Arjun Talwar, a very gifted Punjab batsman who was a prolific run-scorer in his heydays. We see a glimpse of the man walking out to bat in a mid-1980s Duleep Trophy final in which he helps North Zone register a famous win.

Cut to ten years later. Why Arjun Talwar never got a national call-up is still the beyond the comprehension of the man himself and his long-time coach and mentor (Pankaj Kapur). As the story gathers pace, it is revealed that he hung up his boots at the age of 26 never to return to a cricket field.

Now 36, Arjun is a spent force. Life has painted him into a corner. His will to claw his way back into the thick of the action, whether as a cricketer out of touch with the sport or as a government employee under suspension for bribery, has deserted him.

His wife Vidya (Mrunal Thakur) wants him to redeem himself by proving his innocence and wrest back his job. His son Ketan (Ronit Kamra), who has inherited his dad's cricketing genes, wants him to buy him a Team India jersey for his birthday because the boy believes he will be the school team captain if he sports one. Talwar is unable to fulfil either wish.

He needs Rs 50,000 to bribe his way back into government employment and Rs 500 to buy a jersey. Vidya, a Chandigarh hotel employee, is keen to help him financially with the legal appeal against his suspension but is in no mood to spare the money for a piece of clothing. So, poor Arjun scours Chandigarh for the meagre sum he requires in to order not to disappoint his son.

This bit of the plot, one of the film's most crucial narrative pegs, is unconvincing to say the least, pretty much like the sixes and fours that the man smashes at will when he has a cricket bat in his hands. It comes across more as a contrivance than a believable struggle of a gentleman with his back to the wall.

Despite its overly simplistic moorings, Jersey has emotional heft because the father's desire to live up to his son's expectations is palpable and essential, if devoid of complexity. Arjun's negotiations with his wife, on the other hand, are marked by ambiguity and elements of uncertainty.

It is not often that a Hindi film portrays a man-woman marital relationship with such sobriety. In Jersey , gender roles are blurred seamlessly. The woman is her own mistress and does not shy away from putting her foot down when matters come to a head. Her man respects her for her sternness, a fact that comes to the fore even when the marriage teeters on the edge. Neither of the two raves and rants to get a point across.

Jersey is, in the end, a story of loss and hope, tragedy and tenacity, the vicissitudes of fate and the assertion of the human spirit. It is told with a fair degree of flair until the 'explosive' cricket action gets in the way.

The best way to enjoy the film, therefore, would be to discount the flatness of the one-way cricketing action - everything Arjun does on the field is crowned with success, so one is never exactly waiting with bated breath to find out how his outings with the bat are going to pan out - and concentrate on the unfolding and shifting family drama that is on offer.

On the acting front, Shahid is the Man of the Match all right. The team effort behind him is strengthened by the performances from Mrunal Thakur, who lends a quite grace to conveying both the inner turmoil and the fortitude of a woman holding firm amid many an upheaval, and Ronit Kamra, a confident child actor who played the same role in the Telugu original.

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Although the character of the hero's cricket mentor, a man who has never graduated beyond being the assistant coach of the Punjab team, isn't etched out with sufficient clarity, Pankaj Kapur, being the actor he is, sails through the role with aplomb.

In one sequence, when the character has gone from being old to very old, Kapur effects a sharp intonation change and holds a consistent line with it. Pure magic. Had Jersey packed more such strokes into its repertoire, it would have shone much brighter.

Shahid Kapoor, Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Kapur, Ronit Kamra

Gowtam Tinnanuri

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