Jersey (2022 film)
Jersey is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language sports drama film written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, being his Hindi directorial debut and the remake of his 2019 Telugu film of the same title. It stars Shahid Kapoor as a former cricketer who returns to the game for his son's wish of a jersey, alongside Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapoor. The film is produced by Geetha Arts, Dil Raju Production, Sithara Entertainments and Brat Films. Official announcement for the film was made in October 2019. Principal photography commenced in Chandigarh in December 2019 and ended in December  2020, amidst delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. "Jersey" was originally scheduled for a cinema release on 28 August 2020 but was postponed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film finally released on 22 April 2022. Plot. "Jersey " is about a cricketer who quits cricket initially but decides to revive his career at the age of 36 for his son's dream and to eventually prove his ability. Arjun who is aiming to play for the Indian national team to fulfill his son's desire for a jersey. An ex-cricketer struggling to make ends meet, wants to  fulfil his child's wish of getting a Jersey but in the process comes face to face with his heroic past and is forced to decide if he will rise to the occasion and become a symbol of hope, or continue to live life as a loser. Production. Speculations for a remake of the Telugu film "Jersey" (2019) began soon after its release. Later it was reported that Shahid Kapoor has been roped in to star as the lead actor while Shraddha Kapoor was considered for the female lead. In August 2019, Kannada actress Rashmika Mandanna was considered to play  the female lead in this film and it will be her Hindi debut film. Official announcement was made on 14 October that year, confirming all the cast and crew. But later Mrunal Thakur was finalised to cast in the movie Shahid's father Pankaj Kapur was roped in to portray Coach Murthy. The principal photography commenced on 14 December 2019 in Chandigarh. While filming in January 2020, it was reported that Shahid Kapoor received thirteen stitches during a scene, though he later recovered. The filming was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The filming was resumed in  October 2020, production moved to Dehradun and filming took place at the all-boys' boarding school, The Doon School, and Kasiga School. Doon's cricket grounds, buildings and pavilion feature in the film and the trailer. The final schedule of the film took place at the Mohali Stadium in Punjab, and strict bio bubbles and quarantine rules were put in place for the safety of cast and crew. The filming wrapped up on 14 December 2020. Music. The film's songs are composed by Sachet–Parampara while the lyrics are written by Shellee. The film score is composed by Anirudh  Ravichander who composed the score and soundtrack for the original Telugu version. Release. "Jersey" was released on 22 April 2022. The film was initially scheduled to be theatrically released on 28 August 2020 and then on 5 November 2021, before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed production. It was later on again finalised for cinema release on 31 December 2021, but got indefinitely postponed due to the Omicron variant spread. Release date was revised later as 14 April 2022, but it was pushed by a week to avoid clash with "Beast" and "". Reception. Box office. "Jersey" earned 3.75 crore at the domestic  box office on its opening day. On the second day, the film collected 5.50 crore. On the third day, the film collected 5.50 crore, taking total domestic weekend collection to 14.75 crore. , the film grossed crore in India and crore overseas, for a worldwide gross collection of crore. Critical response. "Jersey" received positive reviews with critics lauding the intent of the film and Shahid's performance. Pankaj Shukla of "Amar Ujala" gave the film a rating of 4/5. A Reviewer from "Prabhat Khabar" gave the film a rating of 3.5/5. Archika Khurana of "The Times Of India" gave the film  a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote "This film leans more on emotional drama, while it could have struck a finer balance between the sports and the human drama". Himesh Mankad of "Pinkvilla" gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote "Jersey is a well-intentioned sport drama, which much like the original, has heart at its right place. It rides on superlative performance by Shahid Kapoor, who rises to roar and revolt as a cricketer". Umesh Punwani of "Koimoi" gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote "Gowtam Tinnanuri's impeccable character-building lets him paint Arjun so  well, that he speaks loudest when he has nothing to say". Devansh Sharma of "Firstpost" gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote "Jersey makes us find great comfort in familiarity. It's honest, but could have also been innovative and intricate". Sukanya Verma of "Rediff" gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote "Jersey is a sweet little drama that hits a home run on the strength of its heart and hero". A Reviewer of "Bollywood Hungama" gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote "While Shahid Kapoor Jersey scores with its performance and touching finale , the slow pace and opposition from KGF 2 will limit its box office prospects". Bharathi Pradhan of "Lehren" gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote "Shahid Kapoor looks and enacts his part as cricketer, lover and father with impressive credibility". Tushar Joshi of "India Today" gave the film a rating of 3/5 and wrote "Jersey is a solid effort by Shahid Kapoor and it once again proves his mettle as an actor". Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" gave the film a rating of 2.5/5 and wrote "Shahid Kapoor-Mrunal Thakur-starrer film, an official remake of the  2019 Telugu hit of the same name and by the same director, has all the elements of an inspirational sports drama". Saibal Chatterjee of "NDTV" gave the film a rating of 2.5/5 and wrote "On the acting front, Shahid is the Man of the Match. The team effort behind him is strengthened by the performances from Mrunal Thakur and Ronit Kamra, a confident child actor". Monika Rawal Kukreja of "The Hindustan Times" stated "Shahid Kapoor delivers one of his best performances. However, the film's length works against it". Anuj Kumar of "The Hindu" stated "Despite heartwarming moments, ‘Jersey’ suffers  from logical loopholes and a sense of deja vu".