Farzi Series Review:- Yet another Raj and DK Steller
Farzi is not The Family Man. This is mostly apparent from the shift in location and the absence of the technically flawless one-take action sequences that Raj & DK had made famous in The Family Man’s two seasons. In the climax, they do bring back that one take action set-piece that, for both the audience and the main character on whom it is based, feels almost cathartic. The editing is much more choppy and the set pieces are much more traditional, but there are still similarities to earlier action set pieces. But what stands common in between both the series is “Chellam Sir”.
What a character it has been. A Raj & DK show, however, is anything but typical. They don’t quite break the mould, but they do manage to alter it into something unique and recognisable yet feeling lively and thrilling. The character development of Shahid Kapoor’s Sunny, a gifted but suffering artist, and Firoz (Bhuvan Arora) who also works at the same printing press controlled by Sunny’s family, was crucial because Farzi is based on a very precise racketeering plan. (Raashi Khanna) the young RBI officer who is equipped with the necessary currency knowledge quickly becomes a vital member of Michael’s team, his archenemy Mansoor (Kay Kay Menon), the head of the greatest counterfeit operation, and the demoted but determined detective Michael (Vijay Sethupathi) . The first four episodes are mostly set up with a much slower pace than expected and perhaps straining necessity because of this, a sharper attention to detail regarding the forgery, the details of textures of the currency, and the difficulty executing such forgery.
By Episode 5, the chess pieces are in play, and the plot starts to move, and when Farzi is plot-driven, the show shines. That is not to say it is lacking in character moments. While Shahid Kapoor is fantastic in showcasing the angst hidden beneath Sunny's street-smart and ambitious veneer, he is also supported by an able supporting cast of Bhuvan Arora's Firoz and Palekar's genial presence. But Sethupathi as Michael always manages to stand out. His Michael shifts between Hindi, English and Tamil, and while his usage of Hindi feels stiffer in the beginning, the creators manage to infuse narrative reasoning into said stiffness. His chemistry with Zakir Hussain's Minister Ghalot comprises some of the funniest moments in the show, but Sethupathi himself manages to carry his own plot of "The Family Man" ably even though they sometimes would fall apart if Sethupathi's presence would have been removed. It is also fascinating how the show manages to keep Sethupathi and Kapoor apart for the entirety of the show except for a couple of minutes into the finale, which feels organic and deliberately done.
And that's how the writing consistently manages to keep the screenplay engaging, with the duo's penchant for interweaving and springing humor in the unexpected, the simple and the mundane. It however cannot be denied that the screenplay still feels a tad bit stretched in some instances, but they are never large enough foibles to serve as distractions for the show. Raashi Khanna's Megha as a character is compelling on her own, but her chemistry with Kapoor's Sunny in the later episodes does feel underdeveloped. However Kapoor's chemistry with Arora's Firoz is the standout, almost becoming one-half of the heart of the show, and Bhuvan Arora truly delivers a bravura performance here. Kay Kay Menon Mansoor Dala's character must be menacing yet quirky, and sometimes the thin line straddling that balance does topple over and become goofy.
Farzi is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video
