Farzi might be the program you’re looking for this weekend if you’re seeking an excellent criminal thriller. This Indian series, which spans eight episodes, achieves a lot of great things, although it does lose its footing towards the end with a couple of shaky episodes. However, the journey is filled with drama and tension, excellent acting, and a few charming side twists.
Farzi depicts an artist named Sunny (Shahid Kapoor) who, after deciding to fabricate bank notes with his accomplice Firoz (Bhuvan Arora), is thrust into the shadowy realm of organized crime. Together, the two attempt to elude the law, which is being enforced by a hysterical task force officer named Michael (Vijay Sethupathi) and his feisty companion Megha (Raashi Khanna), who would stop at nothing to have their way.
An intriguing and dangerous game of cat and mouse is set up when Mansoor Dalal (Kay Kay Menon), the biggest forger in India, begins to show interest in Sunny’s work, further complicating the situation.
Overall, the acting is quite strong, but Shahid Kapoor’s nuanced portrayal of Sunny steals the show. It’s fascinating to witness how his character develops throughout the series, as what starts as a voyage with good intentions quickly turns deadly. The enforced romance with a particular character we first meet early on—no spoilers—is my only complaint with this character development. And to be completely honest, it feels forced into the narrative, as if it were a box that must be checked.
The primary story, though, is entertaining to watch, with aspects of El Chapo and Catch Me If You Can be mixed into a straightforward but compelling yarn about a con man and his family. When the plot stays on track, it does a fantastic job of maintaining the tension, and a few of these episodes have some genuinely suspenseful passages.
Unfortunately, the final two episodes essentially erase this. In particular, the conclusion descends into the realm of a straightforward action thriller, which betrays the true purpose of the story’s earlier chapters. The teased cliffhanger, hinting at a potential second season, is the icing on the cake.
Farzi is a fun watch, despite a few hiccups. The acting is passable, the plot is understandable and full of action-packed set pieces, and the characters are sympathetic and fully developed. There’s enough for the barrel here to make for a thoroughly engaging series worth checking out, despite the plot taking a few dubious twists.
