With Kapoor headlining the Hindi adaptation of Jersey, star of the Telugu original, Nani, discusses how the sports drama has pan-India appeal
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; September 6, 2020)

After the raging success of Kabir Singh (2019), Shahid Kapoor turned to the South again to look for inspiration, taking a shine to Jersey (2019) this time around. Nani, who had headlined the Telugu original, had delivered one of his strongest performances as he essayed the role of a retired cricketer who strives to make a comeback. The South actor believes the subject of the sports drama has a pan-India appeal.

"I am confident about Jersey because it has the backdrop of cricket, which will strike a chord with the audience across India. Plus, the film has a strong emotional core. The combination of these two cannot go wrong," says Nani, asserting that an actor of Kapoor's calibre will do justice to the role. "Shahid is a good actor and has been picking up the right content. I have been following his work and I am confident he will pull off this role."

When Nani had flown down to Mumbai last year, director Gowtam Tinnanuri, who is helming the Hindi adaptation as well, had lined up a meeting with Kapoor. "Gowtam was keen that we meet. But, the meeting did not take place as I had gone to Mumbai for a two-day shoot and had to rush back."

With four films, including Hit: The First Case, Middle Class Abbayi (MCA) and Ninnu Kori, being remade in four different languages, the actor is proud that regional cinema is getting its share of the spotlight. "I am glad people like my choice of content and feel it will work in another language. It validates my work," he reasons.

For now, Nani has trained his attention on V, which is set to enjoy a digital premiere on Amazon Prime Video. As the theatre-versus-OTT debate rages on, the actor admits he will always be a fan of the big screen. "However, I am not disappointed [about the digital release] as the film is dropping in various countries."