While on one hand, we wholeheartedly cherish a mother's selfless love and compassion for her child; on the other hand, we often tend to overlook a father's imperishable appetite and all the sacrifices he makes just to fulfill his child's naive wishes. "Jersey" gives acknowledgments to that understated relationship.
This is not only an ordinary sports drama, but it's also a journey of a stubborn and desperate father in his late thirties, who is willing to take the chance again at the sport he once honored and found comfort in, just to be the 'ideal' father he wanted to become, just to be the 'hero' in his son's story. This is an incredible tale that not only portrays a beautiful dynamic between a father and his son with much charm and elegance but it also exemplifies the true value of family and friends that you have in your life and can always count upon.
As far as the performances are concerned; let me clarify that I have not seen the Original Telugu feature with Nani yet, so can't draw any sort of comparisons here but I will tell you this much, Shahid acted his heart out. You can be a Nani sympathizer, or you may have a special place for the original movie in your heart but in no way one could state that Shahid was terrible or was not up to the mark; they will only be lying to themselves.
Shahid does a stupendous job with the role of Arjun Talwar; not only does he bring out the emotional defenselessness in his portrayal when the guy is off the pitch, but he also resonates with genuineness and authenticity whenever his character is on the pitch and playing the game of cricket. As for the supporting cast, Pankaj Kapur stands out the most, again not a surprise given his veteran stature. Mrunal on the other hand does decent, even though she had much room for improvement.
The only major drawback for me was its ending, especially about the portion where the 'revelation' came out in the open, or should I rather say the particular fashion in which the twist was conveyed. To me, neither the place nor the moment in time seemed appropriate. I don't know if the makers made some alterations for this remake or were it all the same for the previous movie as well, but one thing is for certain, I did not like how it ended, there I do happen to have some issues.
So to conclude, is this a perfect film? No, certainly not. Along with all its qualities, it has its fair share of scarcities as well. However, it's got a heart full of emotions and sportsman essence; and if you are somebody who could connect to the same set of sentiments, you'll feel great affection for the film as well as for Arjun Talwar's character as a person. Trust me, every flaw will be forgotten!
