Jersey trailer out: Shahid Kapoor bats for redemption

The trailer for Jersey, starring Shahid Kapoor as a cricketer staging a comeback in his mid-30s, was launched on Tuesday. The film, written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, is a remake of the 2019 Telugu film of the same name. It is produced by Allu Aravind, Aman Gill, Dil Raju, and Suryadevara Naga Vamsi.

Jersey's trailer shows a broken, disillusioned man who has lost his way. Arjun, played by Shahid, wants to fulfil his son's wish of owning a team India jersey. It just costs 500 bucks and seems like a simple gift. But they've fallen on hard times—Arjun's wife (Mrunal Thakur) is the sole breadwinner, and the family is stretching itself to make ends meet. As the trailer progresses, we see glimpses of Arjun's past and learn that he was a bright, promising batsman. Somewhere, though, he gave it all up and now regrets it. What made Arjun quit his dreams? And is a return possible at 36, even if a child wish's—and, by extension, his estimation of his father—is on the line?

Unkempt beard and hairdo notwithstanding, Jersey finds Shahid in a slightly more contemplative space than Kabir Singh (2019), also a remake of a hit Telugu film. Instead of self-destruction and rage, the reigning themes here are family, fatherhood, redemption and self-worth. In a neat casting decision, it's Shahid's own father, veteran actor Pankaj Kapur, who's playing his coach in the film.

"My approach to direction is to let an actor find a character in the space of a film," Gowtam, who is making his Hindi feature debut with Jersey, said. "I had a similar approach when I worked with Nani in the 2019 version. To me, they feel like two different films."

Commenting on the film's theme of success and failure, the director added, "We always draw inspiration from people who are successful. But to me, it's the effort or spirit of a person that's more important than the success itself. That was my inspiration when I wrote this story."

Jersey releases theatrically on December 31.