Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre : Drama
Year : 2022
Season: 1 Episodes: 8
Director : Raj & DK
Cast : Shahid Kapoor, Bhuvan Arora, Vijay Sethupati, Rashi Khanna, Amol Palekar, Regina Cassandra
Kid rating : PG-15
Farzi starts off with a scene where we see two men kidnapped and blindfolded. And helpless unless unknown attackers. Then it goes backwards in time to show us how they got there.
Sunny (Shahid Kapoor) and Firoz (Bhuvan Arora), fast friends, are almost orphans. Sunny’s grandfather Nanaji runs an activist newspaper called Kranti complete with printing press and paraphernalia. Unfortunately, like most social activism, it doesn’t make money and when the lenders come calling, the press is shuttered.
Strapped for cash and scrounging around for a loan to help Nana, Sunny and Firoz finally hit up on a plan. They will print money directly on Nana’s printing press. Of course, law-abiding Nana will have no clue. Sunny is a skilled artist and Firoz an expert in printing, and together they manage to create very authentic looking counterfeit money. Thus the printing press is saved. The bad news is that once the immediate need is over the the itch doesn’t stop.
Continuing with their homespun counterfeiting operation, Sunny and Firoz get noticed by a police officer running an anti-counterfeiting operation, and by a gangster looking to make use of Sunny’s “artistic” skills. It is a slippery slope and Sunny has landed smack-dab into dangerous crime. Will he ever be able to regain his footing?
It is a while since we have seen Shahid Kapoor in anything quality. There was Kabir Singh but that was terrible. Then there was Jersey, which wasn’t much better. Fortunately for us, Farzi reminds me of Shahid in Kaminey. It is made by Raj and DK, who have made quite a name for themselves by doing innovative work; series like The Family Man and films like Shor In The City come to mind.
I like Farzi because it starts well, and keeps the momentum going. The characters are well defined, and the hero and his nemesis are fleshed out nicely. We sympathize with Sunny’s life and situation. We really are on his side, forgiving his missteps; Sunny is like a favorite nephew who’s lost his way. We also root for his biggest foe – the cop, Michael. Michael has his own problems. He has to kowtow to corrupt political masters to just perform his duty with integrity. His personal life has fallen apart, and his career marred by unfortunate events.
Farzi has some strong performances. Shahid Kapoor is really good as Sunny, torn between Nana’s strict morality and the lure of filthy lucre. Amol Palekar makes a surprise return to the small screen as Sunny’s Nana, but he isn’t as impactful as one would have thought he’d be, given his solid acting chops. Bhuvan Arora is the real surprise here, really owning Firoz’s role. He has appeared in smaller roles before (Chaman Bahaar, Dedh Ishqiya) but Farzi will put him on the map, so to speak.
Tamil superstar, Vijay Sethupati, is the indefatigable cop who won’t give up. He’ll sweet-talk or strong-arm, which ever is necessary to get the job done. He is supported ably by his right hand man Shekhar (Jaswant Dalal) and an energetic counterfeit expert, Megha Vyas (Rashi Khanna). KK Menon is marvelous as the chameleon-esque counterfeit king Mansoor Dalal.
Farzi ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger so Season 2 is coming. I only hope it comes fast.
Highly recommended.
Kidwise: Scenes of bloody violence, profanity.
