Firangi trailer: Meet Kapil Sharma as the village idiot in this pre-Independence drama

It's often difficult for comedy artistes to break free from being typecast. TV star and comedian Kapil Sharma made a forgettable Hindi film debut with the poor comedy Kis Kisko Ko Pyaar Karoon (2015). The actor now returns with his second film Firangi. The teaser suggested that this could turn out to be another clichéd comedy, but the trailer paints a different picture.

Produced by Sharma himself, the trailer was launched today. Sharma plays a village simpleton in this pre-Independence drama directed by Rajeev Dhingra.

Firangi is the story of the simple, good-for-nothing Manga. The only thing he’s apparently good at is kicking butt with therapeutic after-effects. This skill lands him a job as a policeman. Manga is in favour of the British Raj, and thinks they aren't as bad as Indians make them out to be.

On one hand you have the British, and on the other there's the king played by Kumud Mishra, who issues orders to evict the villagers. Mishra’s character appears to be the principal antagonist in the film.

There's also a strong love angle between Manga and a girl, who disapproves of the British. The tough words of his beloved force Manga to rebel.

The trailer is appealing as Sharma doesn’t appear to be cast in a clichéd role of a comedian. More importantly, Firangi has a decent story to tell. It may bring back memories of Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), but Firangi seems more like a light-hearted historical drama. After a forgettable debut in Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon, Sharma seems to have put some thought into selecting his next film.

Firangi is vital for him help rebuild his image which has taken a beating following a period of personal and professional crisis. The trailer is not clichéd nor loud, thereby creating a curiosity among Sharma fans.

The film is set to be released on 24 November.

Watch the trailer below: