Jersey offers a leisurely paced human drama played in the field of cricket

Mona

Jersey is not just a cricket film, but also drama, romance, and as much a story of father-son bonding. Yes, cricket is a big part of it, as is ambition.

The Hindi remake of the hit Telugu film with the same title that has two National awards in its kitty is set largely in Chandigarh.

Arjun Talwar (Shahid Kapoor) is a 36-year-old suspended FCI employee, who isn’t ready to bribe his way out of a false corruption case. As his wife Vidya (Mrunal Thakur) takes over to run the house, Arjun plays a doting father. Kittu (Ronit Kamra) demands a jersey of the Indian team from his father as a birthday gift. As Arjun struggles to get Rs 500, it makes him come face-to-face with his failure.

Thus begins a journey, being back in the field, and not losing the admiration and respect that a son has for his father, whatever it may take. Set in City Beautiful, while much of the action takes place in Sector 16 stadium and PCA, Mohali, clean wide roads, characteristic roundabouts, Sukhna Lake and Hotel Mountview make their presence felt. If Arjun is loved by his son, he is adored by his velli yaar, who land in the stadium with a dholi and haar to mark his return after a gap of 10 years.

Shahid Kapoor is a fine actor and Jersey proves it once more. His father Pankaj Kapur is master of his craft, and is impeccable here as well. Mrunal Thakur is earnest in her role. It’s the little Ronit Kamra, who steals heart. Geetika Mehandru as Jasleen Shergil offers a refreshing Punjabi punch.

Each character is author-backed, adding to the plot. However, the same cannot be said about the story. While one feels for the protagonist, why he makes the choice he makes or keeps it a secret doesn’t go down well.

The strength of the film is its fabulous cast. Cinematographer Anil Mehta not only captures some wonderful cityscapes but also the mountains as the scene briefly shifts to Paddal Stadium, Himachal Pradesh.

Shahid as an aging player, with an exceptional skill set, bats some spectacular shots. Along with cricket, it does evoke nostalgia from the 90s’ era – Yezdi bikes, polka dotted dresses and simple birthday parties.

What doesn’t work, however, is the pace. Close to three hours, 2 hours and 50 minutes to be precise, the story takes time to settle in, and when it does, the plot twists.

Since Punjab seems to be the flavour of Bollywood, it’s the time the industry learnt how Punjabi is spoken in Punjab. First, it was Shershaah and now Jersey, the very artificial ‘Hinjabi’ puts one off. ‘Tusi jab cricket khelte ho to ek dum hero lagte ho mujhe.’ Please, think of a complete sentence in Punjabi if you really want that flavour.

However, what Jersey lacks in the dialogue department, it makes up for it with its music. Jind Meriye by Sachet Tandon runs in the background, adding to the narrative.

A remake of a successful film is a big gamble, but with an amazing cast, Gowtam Tinnanuri (he wrote and directed the original too) is able to deliver a beautiful film. If you are looking for a human drama that unfolds at a leisurely pace, Jersey is for you.