Farzi review: Gripping crime drama does not disappoint

Farzi follows an artist, Sunny, who gets into the business of creating counterfeit currency but faces challenges from Michael, a cop, who is hell-bent on putting an end to this business in India. The series is now streaming on Prime Video.

Story

Sunny is an artist who lives with his best friend, Firoz, and his grandfather, Madhav. The two boys were raised by Madhav, who owns a printing press and wishes to influence the youth with his ideas through his Hindi magazine, Kranti.

Madhav, who had taken loans to keep running his magazine, faces disappointment when the creditor threatens to shut down his printing press if he does not pay back all of it within a month, which is an impossible task for him.

When nothing else works, Sunny creates a perfect fake note with Firoz’s help and starts the business of counterfeiting currency. The two friends manage to save the printing press, but the idea of a better life is too good to put an end to their illegal business.

Furthermore, a cop named Michael has been chasing Mansoor, a criminal who is also involved in the same business. When Mansoor and Sunny’s paths intertwine, Michael goes to extreme lengths to catch the two men.

Sunny wants to beat the system that allows the rich to get richer and prevents the poor from advancing in life, but with other men and his own emotions hindering his path, it is to be seen whether Sunny succeeds or becomes just another man who tried defeating the system.

Performances

Shahid Kapoor as Sunny gave an adequate performance. He was able to bring to the screen the anger and frustration that Sunny constantly deals with.

Vijay Sethupathi as Michael was brilliant and effortlessly funny. The actor completely embraced his character and made the character grow on the viewers. His dialogue delivery and his comic timing certainly leave a long-lasting impression.

Similarly, Bhuvan Arora, who plays Firoz, also commits to the role. He stands out with his near-perfect Mumbai accent and the way he depicts the quirks of his character.

The two stalwart actors — Kay Kay Menon as Mansoor, a sly criminal, and Amol Palekar as Madhav, a man of principles — do not disappoint either.

Raashii Khanna’s performance as Megha pales in comparison to the performances of the rest of the cast, but the other members of the cast certainly make the show a lot more enjoyable.

Positives

The show is a perfect blend of drama, suspense, comedy, and a pinch of action. The direction does justice to the show’s gripping plot; the viewers get completely invested from the beginning to the very end.

The depiction of the protagonist who becomes a criminal is not didactic in nature. The motive is first desperation and then greed, envy, and anger. The show does not judge or justify the actions of the protagonist when he is desperate nor does it glorify them when he claims to fight an unjust system.

The characters in the show seem very real, as there is no rigid dichotomy between good and bad. The bad guys have their good moments, while the actions of the good guys are questionable at times.

Farzi is loyal to its setting. The plot is rooted in Indian reality, which is truly praiseworthy. For instance, the car chase is not thrilling when the characters are stuck in Mumbai traffic; it is rather hilarious.

Negatives

At times, it seems like the show aims to start a conversation about the relationship between class, respect, and power in India, but it leaves it after simply scratching the surface with the representation of the difference between the haves and the have-nots.

The viewers find it hard to accept Sunny and Megha’s relationship when the two actors do not look natural together on-screen. If the show was trying to add a bit of romance to the drama, then unfortunately, it did not succeed.

Verdict

Farzi is a crime drama that will entertain the audience with amazing performances, thrilling drama, comedy, cat-and-mouse games, and some action on the side. It deserves to be on the watchlist of Indian fans of crime drama who want to watch a well-made drama that is rooted in their reality.

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