Jersey

<p>In 2019, , a young man named Nani visits a bookstore and purchases a book titled . Moments later, a woman arrives asking for the same book. Nani, without hesitation, offers her his copy. Curious, the woman asks why he gave it up so easily. Nani smiles and explains that the book tells the story of his father, Arjun. Soon after, Nani receives a call from the (BCCI). They have organized a grand event to honor his late father’s contributions to cricket. At the ceremony, in front of his mother, Arjun’s friends, BCCI officials, and former cricketers, Nani is invited to share his father’s story. As he accepts a special jersey emblazoned with “Arjun,” memories come flooding back. Flashing back to , 1986, Arjun was a prodigious cricketer with dreams of representing India. However, due to constant rejection fueled by selection politics, he grew disillusioned and quit cricket. He secured a government job under the sports quota but later lost it after being falsely accused of bribery—a blow that shattered his spirit. By 1996, Arjun, aged 36, was unemployed and struggling to support his family. His wife, Sarah, often scolded him for not clearing his name through legal means. Their son, young Nani, who played cricket at school, once asked his father for an Indian team jersey for his birthday. Despite their financial hardships, Arjun promised to get it. Desperate to fulfill his son’s wish, Arjun reached out to friends for help but found no support. His old coach, Murthy, offered him a chance to play in a charity match between the Hyderabad team and . The promised ₹1,000 match fee could cover the cost of the jersey. Arjun played magnificently but later learned the match was for charity and carried no payment. Disheartened and frustrated, Arjun, in a moment of helplessness, struck Nani when he asked again about the jersey—a moment he deeply regretted. Realizing the depth of his son’s love and admiration, Arjun made a life-changing decision. He resolved to return to cricket despite his age. Coach Murthy, though skeptical, supported him. Arjun attended the Ranji selection trials but was mocked and rejected due to his age. However, an article by journalist Ramya, praising Arjun’s perseverance, swayed the selectors to give him a chance. Arjun seized the opportunity, performing exceptionally and earning his place back in the Hyderabad team. Meanwhile, Sarah’s father offered to fund a legal battle to reclaim Arjun’s old job. But Arjun, finding new meaning in cricket, refused. He chose pride and passion over convenience. In the semifinals, Arjun, despite severe chest pains, led his team to victory. Doctors warned him to get medical tests, but financial constraints held him back. Choosing heart over health, Arjun continued to play. In the Ranji finals, Hyderabad found itself in trouble. Arjun rose to the occasion, leading the team to a stunning victory, only to collapse shortly after. Back in 2019, at the felicitation, Nani reveals that Arjun had suffered from since he was 26, something he hid from everyone. His father didn’t quit because he was weak; he quit because he was ill. Yet when it mattered most, he returned, risking everything to fulfill a simple promise to his son. Arjun proved that “it’s never too late to dream”. In June 2018, was reported to sign his 23rd film with , who made his debut with (2018), which was officially announced at the of the show, which commenced on 10 June 2018. A first look poster was released on 15 June 2018, revealing the title as . The poster featured a cricket jersey with the name “Arjun”, who is a struggling 36 year old cricketer played by Nani in the lead role. The film was set up in the period of 1986 and 1996. Director noted that the film is not based on the life of late cricketer . The pre-production work of the film took place soon after its announcement, and makers decided to start the shoot in September 2018, only after finalising the cast and crew members. While Nani had undergone a special training in cricket, for three and half hours per day, to fit into his role. Followed by the success of , Nani decided to increase the remuneration by crore to crore. However, Nani signed the film free of cost and also opting for a profit-sharing basis, due to major constraints in the film’s budget. announced that he will be composing music for the project, which marks his second film in Telugu after . The technical crew also included , and Avinash Kolla as the cinematographer, editor and art director respectively. Initially and were roped in as the female leads for the film. Later, was finalised to star opposite Nani. Shraddha claimed that the film’s script based on sports is about “emotions and relationships”. , and were signed in other prominent roles. While Adah Sharma was reported to act in a special song in the film, it was claimed as baseless rumours, since the actress did not confirm her presence. The film was launched on 17 October 2018, with the presence of the crew members, whilst attending the ceremony as the chief guest. Principal photography commenced the very following day, and was held at various places across . It was revealed that 250 cast and crew members were involved in the making of the film. The main cricket match that takes place in the film was apparently shot in 24 days on two international and five domestic cricket grounds. 130 professional cricket players were also roped in to be extras for these scenes, with 18 of them coming in from . It was revealed that the shooting of the film was wrapped up in March 2019. Post-release the director had shot two climaxes for the film, however there was no change in the climax scene after Nani condemned rumours about the film. In an interview with , director Tinnanuri stated about the film’s plotline which deals with late bloomers, who want to aspire in the sports field, but they face difficulties from doing so. He further added: The basic plot revolves around the concept of late bloomers. Some people pursue their dreams only after a certain age and they still achieve success. They are known as late bloomers. We have plenty of examples and success stories with regards to it in different fields. But, in the case of sports, the late bloomer concept is somewhat difficult to apply. Because the sports field demands physical fitness. After a certain age, competing in any sports becomes tough. Likewise, Jersey is the story of a man who is settled in life with his wife and kid but aspires to be an Indian cricketer. The story also includes the reasons behind his dream and what he has done to achieve it during the process. While some claimed that the film is based on the life of , Nani and director Tinnanuri claimed that it is a fictional story. The film’s and were composed by in his second Telugu project after (2018). The album featuring five tracks had lyrics written by Krishna Kanth; four of the tracks were released as singles before the album release on 17 April 2019. Later, two of the tracks were released as bonus singles after the film’s release – the first track “Aarambhame Le” was unveiled on 24 April and another track “Nuvvadiginadhe” was released along with the original background score on 13 May 2019. The first look poster of the film was released on , 31 December 2018. The official teaser of the film was released on 12 January 2019, and received praise for the portrayal of Nani’s character as a cricketer in their mid-30s. On 9 March 2019, the movie team released a new poster, with resemblance to a magazine cover, which gained attention from film buffs. The official trailer of the film was released on 12 April 2019. The film’s pre-release event was held at in on 15 April, with attending the event as the chief guest, in presence of the film’s cast and crew. The film received a from the without any cuts, and released worldwide on 19 April 2019. Although the film was expected to be released simultaneously in Tamil, the dubbed version was released on on 27 March 2021 as . The film was also dubbed and released in Hindi on television and by Goldmines Telefilms on 13 October 2019. received unanimous critical acclaim , especially for Nani’s performance, Tinnanuri’s screenplay and emotional sequences. On the website , 71% of 7 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. Neetishta Nyayapati of gave 4 out of 5 stars stating, “Jersey will make you laugh, cry and cheer out loud. A while into the film, Nani simply ceases to exist and it is only cricketer Arjun you see.” gave 4 out of 5 stars stating, “Not just drama, Jersey has enough cricketing moments to draw you to the edge of the seat. Gowtam exactly knows how much of cricket should be shown at a given point in the narration, so that the game doesn’t overshadow the human drama.” Writing for the , Haricharan Pudipeddi gave 4 out of 5 stars stating, “Jersey manages to showcase the cricket games as convincingly as possible. The effort that has gone into getting trained for his character is quite visible in Nani’s performance. From the stands to the shots and the follow through, Nani gets the body language of a batsman right and is a treat to watch while playing.” gave 4 out of 5 stars stating “Jersey packs in so many emotional moments that it’ll leave you with a heavy heart and loads of tears. It’s a blessing that this film exists in Telugu. Watch it, cherish it, and soak yourself in the world of Jersey. They don’t make such films so often these days.” gave 3.5 out of 5 stars stating, “Jersey is a refreshing and compelling sports drama and the film offers many heart-warming moments. Climax sequence is superb. Nani’s brilliant performance, emotional scenes and honest narration makes this a good movie.” Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of wrote, “Gowtam Tinnanuri presents an endearing sports drama backed by strong performances.” wrote, “There are a few simple-yet-touching moments that safely put Jersey in a league of its own.” gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, “Director Gowtam Tinnanuri’s Jersey is not just your regular sports drama. It is an emotional film that talks about a disgruntled cricketer’s life, his ever-supporting wife and what it is like to be back to doing what you once considered your life.” Suresh Kavirayani of gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, “Keeping the best for last, Gowtam ends the film with a twist which enhances the tale.” Sowmya Rajendran of gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, “The sports drama genre, be it fictional or biopics, is in vogue in Indian cinema. Gowtam Tinnanuri’s biggest challenge with therefore, was to not sound too predictable. But the director pulls it off by choosing to tell a story about failure rather than success. Both Shraddha and Nani are terrific together, portraying two guilt-ridden people who don’t know how to bridge the widening gap between them.” has been remade in with the by himself, marking as his Hindi directorial debut and produced by , and Aman Gill under and . The film stars and .</p>