Two decades after entering Bollywood, Shahid Kapoor is a debutant again. Now that he has established himself as one of Hindi cinema’s most versatile actors, Kapoor is stepping into the world of online streaming with director duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.’s Farzi. This eight-part Amazon Prime web series will lure you from the get-go and keep you hooked until the very end.
After the massive success of The Family Man in 2019— also an Amazon Prime product — the filmmakers, famously known as ‘Raj & DK’, are back with another thriller. In true pan-India style, they have brought new-age Telugu superstar Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the same frame as veteran actor Manoj Bajpayee (after their first collaboration in The Family Man’s second season in 2021), even adding big names like Vijay Sethupathi and Rashi Khanna to the mix.
At a time when several Hindi film actors (Saif Ali Khan, Radhika Apte, Abhishek Bachchan, Sushmita Sen, Manoj Bajpayee, to name a few) have flirted with the idea of OTT, it is interesting to see Kapoor choose Farzi as his digital launch pad.
A gripping crime thriller
The show, essentially a crime thriller, revolves around Sunny (Kapoor), an artist who, in a bid to resolve financial woes, ends up making counterfeit currency notes. Helping him every step of the way is his confidante and friend, Firoz (Bhuvan Arora). But as fate would have it, Sunny is pulled into the murky high stakes of a con job that leads a no-nonsense police officer Michael (Sethupathi), on a mission to nab Sunny.
Written by Sita Menon, Suman Kumar, and Raj & DK, Farzi intricately walks one through the nitty gritty of committing the faceless and “second-most oldest crime” in the world. Scenes where Sunny recreates the currency notes are fascinating to watch. The sheer hard work and attention to detail that Sunny puts into it (almost) evokes respect for people who produce counterfeit currency. In one crucial scene, a familiar character (from The Family Man) makes an appearance. Is that a hint to a possible crossover between Farzi and The Family Man? There has been no confirmation, but it sure seems like a delicious possibility.
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Kapoor makes a promising debut
This, by no means, is Kapoor’s best performance, but it comes close and counts for a promising debut. It would be safe to say that Kapoor has entered the league of actors who can act in their sleep and still be convincing. His chemistry with Arora deserves a curated playlist of its own.
Sethupathi is funny, vulnerable, and entertaining as the feisty cop. Hearing him converse in Hindi can be a bit jarring at first, but it quickly normalises. For one, his scenes with a senior minister form some of the show’s best moments.
Khanna, who plays a passionate analyst, is earnest and embodies the character of Megha impressively. But the breakout performance of Farzi is that of Arora. The finesse in his performance, and his spot on Mumbaiya dialect, is a treat to watch. In some frames, he reminds one of a young Vicky Kaushal.
Besides comprehensive characters and a thorough plot, background music is equally crucial for a thriller. The custodians of music in Farzi — Ketan Sodha, Sachin–Jigar, and Tanishk Bagchi — have kept it pulsating and engaging throughout the show.
For the most part, Farzi gives you no chance to pause or stop. It can sometimes lag, but that’s also when you put the forward button to use. This is binge-watching at its best, with Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi as the cherries on top. Don’t miss it.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)