Farzi

talent can be tough. The man would give you hope with his stint in an impressive venture and then make the creative choices which will make you think otherwise. A career spanning close to 20 years has had the most volatile ups and downs but the actor has still persisted and stayed relevant when it comes to being considered as. One of the most talented and commercial actors from Hindi Cinema. When I heard the news that Shahid Kapoor is collaborating with one of my favourite creative duos, RAJ & DK, I inherently felt that these are the collaboration the actor desperately needs, creators whom are relevant and effective with their voice and can channelise a strong performance from the actor. A combination of talents like Vijay Sethupathi and Kay Kay Menon becoming the cherry on top as we embarked upon the crazy journey of Farzi that just dropped on AMAZON PRIME VIDEO. The eight episode series focusses on Sunny played by Shahid Kapoor whom is an artist and his best friend Firoz played by Bhuvan Arora whom works at the printing press of Kranti Magazine owned by Sunny’s Nana ji played by Amole Palekar. As excess debt puts the existence of the magazine under threat, Sunny and Firoz have to devise a plan to get them out of this financial mess, what better than producing their own currency from the printing press! The journey to get Nanaji out of a financial mess transitions to individual greed and a never ending journey, alarming not only the leader of the syndicate producing counterfeit notes, Mansoor Dalal played by Kay Kay Menon but the task force assigned to stop the dissemination of fake notes in the economy as well, led by Michael played by Vijay Sethupathi. The mess that transpires as a cat and mouse chase ensues, each department and individual looking out for themselves forms the basic premise of Farzi. Here’s me telling you the good and bad aspects of the series so that you guys can ultimately decide whether to watch it on amazon prime video or not! The Underwhelming Aspects Mid Action & Chase Sequence (especially compared to Family Man): One of the most effective aspects of Family Man other than its hilarious and profound writing were the action sequences that assisted them. One still vividly remembers Srikant Tiwari taking a lift from a lady to catch a pretentious PT Usha and the hilarious lines and delivery that Bajpayee infused in that scene, the best part about Family Man was that these on ground missions were not only integrated with comedy but were stylised in other instances especially if you remember the hospital rescue sequence that was packed long one shots, that would have any cinema enthusiasts jaw drop in disbelief on how they pulled it off. Sadly, in the case of Farzi, other than an exceptional climax sequence which showcases RAJ & DK honing in on their Family Man roots and something that will genuinely make you think that Shahid Kapoor can be a capable action hero, the other instances of action just dont leave a lasting impression! This is true for the case of the action set pieces in Nepal and Bangladesh, which is filled with choppy editing and abrupt jump cuts, absolutely lacking the exhilarating quotient that should otherwise be assisted with such high octane set pieces. While a parking lot sequence really does impress both from keeping the suspense intact and an interesting creative decisions as a chase ensues, I wished for better choreography throughout the series, which would have made Farzi match upto RAJ & DK’s previous ventures. Green Screen & Technical Elements: This might be too technical from a review stand point but I think it’s important to dwell upon but noticing green screens is a common occurrence through the screenplay of the film. Especially when foreign locations are being presented or different elements are in the background, you can clearly make out that its been shot in a studio in front of a green screen but the most jarring element of the series is when you can clearly tell that the actors did not shoot the scene together. There is one sequence especially that stands out like a sore thumb in episode 6 where Shahid Kapoor and Kay Kay Menon are talking to each other, the frame only covers their individual shots and you make out that the sequence was shot separately and superimposed in post later. This just makes the dialogues seem to be delivered on cue rather than their being an organic back and forth between the actors. You will definitely feel that the protagonists last minute convenience to get out of a tricky situation does sprinkle over the concluding moments of the series but it still accounts for a genuinely engaging watch and another winner from Raj & DK. The Good Brilliant Set Up Showcasing Contrast & Motivation: What I absolutely loved about Farzi and especially the way it commenced was that it got the ball rolling immediately. Raj & DK have a brilliant ability in expanding upon not only the motivations of the characters and their relationships but setting the mood through the city in which the series is located, Mumbai. Tarun Achpal, Pratha Narang, Amith Surendran and Pankaj Kumar, the cinematography team have done a splendid job in presenting the contrast of the rich and poor, the dichotomy that is the city of Mumbai. The rich and influential live in close proximity to one another but there are unsaid rules of whom is welcome where. This theme is also touched upon in Gully Boy and how a character’s motivation stems from such mistreatment and disrespect. Most of the frames are not filled with vibrant colours, there is grey overcast, almost gloomy in its mood, setting the tone of the predicament that Sunny and Firoz find themselves in. The motivations being explored never feel rushed and the case of getting out of the rut of mediocrity, a financial crisis and basic want for respect is successfully established! The dialogues and circumstance effectively help in hitting home this point, Sunny is not respected for his art, constantly being told to bargain, he exclaims from the onset, setting up the journey he will be on, HUMNE SABSE IMANDAAR AADMI KI PHOTO, SABSE KAMINI CHEEZ PE DAAL DI’. He gets rejected from the pub he wishes to enter with his girlfriend, he notices the embarrassment she has in hanging out with him, all of these microagressions culminate into the dialogue, JAB KISI KE PAAS PAISE NAHI HOTE, TOH WOH HEE DIKHTA HAI! One knows the characters, has a connection with them, understands the the crazy world they are stepping into with the very first episode, Supporting Cast: I think one of the main reasons why Raj & DK’s work have such a lasting impression on audiences is because of the zany nature of their characters and how they contribute to the madness that will unfurl. This is a combination of their inventive casting and their distinct humour that leads to several moments that will easily be clipped in compilation videos in the future. You’ve got Saqib Ayub as Anees, a wheeler dealer whom is always up for a job, his ways are absolutely disorganised but what makes him so special is that he’s always down to participate, You’ve got Chitranjan Giri as Yasir Chacha whom does not have a bod element in his character or body. He par takes in Sunny and Firoz’s illegal activities, mainly to get Nanaji out of the financial rut but is constantly the voice of reason, making the duo aware of the horrible consequences that they will eventually have to deal with. You’ve got Nilesh Divekar as Bilal, whom gets mercilessly beaten up throughout the series and his dynamic with Vijay Sethupathi account for several laugh out loud moments. Regina Cassandra as Michael’s wife brings a humanity and pragamtism to the unpredictable world of Michael, accounting for really mature and poignant moments about life and learning to let go. Kubbra Sait’s integration always puts Kay Kay Menon’s character pull up his socks, his annoyance with her and their sequences also are nothing short of hilarious. But if there is one character, that will leave you in absolute splits anytime he appears, it is Zakir Hussain as Gahlot, its absolutely bonkers how funny he is in this series, especially the scenes he shares with Vijay and more on that later! I believe one of the main reasons why Shahid also stood out so much in Kabir Singh was because Soham Majumdar as his best friend and Suresh Oberoi as his father were so good to provide an insight into his personal life and its the same case with Farzi as well. You’ve got an exceptional miser, stickler for rules and money Bhuvan Arora as Firoz and the idealist and straight edged Amole Palekar as Nanaji, both help in bringing a humanity to Sunny and make you empathise him despite the business he is clawing his fingers at! The Leads & Creative Choices: The reason for the effective nature of Farzi is that everyone in the lead cast has got the tonality of their characters and this storyline on point. Rashi Khanna plays an eager, fidgety, ambitious and inquisitive RBI officer whom joins the force in combating counterfeit notes in the economy. She gives automated answers as she feels frustrated with beauracracy and red tape in the system but especially shines in the dynamic that gets explored when Sunny gets introduced into the mix. The most tricky job in my opinion was of Kay Kay Menon, a character and performance that could have easily transitioned to become gimmicky but the actor strikes the right balance between manic and quirky. Even though his purple suit reminded me of his embarrassing venture in Drona, his obsession for expensive things, his annoyance if anyone disagrees with him or questions his capability leads to several hilarious moments! The tricky situation of being both intimidating and hilarious is hit right on the nose by Kay Kay Menon. Vijay Sethupathi as Michael is an absolute mess, he is drinking daily, has conflicts within his marriage, is clearly out of the shape, something that is pointed out in the series as well but he is determined with his goal. He has a commanding presence while interrogating criminals and an effortlessly funny tone when trying to extract favours from politicians and even his son! Transitioning from English, hindi and Tamil, Vijay really puts on a great show and Shahid Kapoor is no less. Whenever Shahid Kapoor in his career has explored characters that take morally ambiguous decisions, I think those ventures for him have really stood the test of time. Sunny is determined yet hurt, talented yet hollow from within for the lack of attention his craft gets and Shahid channelises the same inner angst in Sunny. He goes from a wide eyed boy thinking the world is his oyster to forgetting the core of why they embarked on this journey! As karma plays a part in his life and he wants to beat the cyclical nature of what his parents represented, Sunny really becomes a character you root for and the fact that you do so, is because of the writing that provides enough to make him human! Chemistry & Raj & DK Comic Timing: The dynamics and scenes shared between actors really shout out RAJ & DK! Firoz’s obsession with having tea or anything that is offered to him during these shady meetings, the trash talking between Michael and Gahlot that just never seems to end, Gahlot encourages anyone to sit and shutup when probable solutions are brought to him, ending every conversation with the lines, THANK YOU NAMASTE JAI HIND! Kay Kay Menon’s poolside discussion with Shahid Kapoor wanting him to relax as he threatens his life is classic RAJ & DK holding onto the comedy while still knowing the stakes are so high, little did I even know that they will open their own cinematic universe, a pleasant surprise and I won’t lie I shouted at the screen, seeing who appeared and got seamlessly involved! The consistent frames of Sunny and Firoz walking together, each episode representing a different mood is screenplay magic by the duo, the conclusion opening several possibilities and making me conclude that I genuinely had such a fun time bingeing on this series that I’m sure you will too. Its fun, its attention to detail with the racket is on point and while I would have wished for more exhilarating action set pieces, the performances more than make up for a binge that is worth your time!