Shahid Kapoor reveals Nani made him cry, inspired him to do Jersey

Actor Shahid Kapoor, who is looking forward to the release of the sports-based drama Jersey (2021), has revealed that it was Nani who inspired him to take up the project.

Kapoor said Nani made him cry with his performance in the Telugu original.

Kapoor, who has reprised Nani’s role in the Hindi remake, revealed that Nani’s performance drove him to accept the project. He said this in a Q&A session with fans on Twitter yesterday.

When a fan asked Kapoor to say a word about Nani, he wrote: “I think Nani did an amazing job in Jersey. He made me cry. So I would say he inspired me to do this film.” 

Gowtam Tinnanuri’s Jersey (2019), starring Nani, was a rewarding story of triumph and self-discovery. Though it comes across as a familiar story of dreams and failure set against a sporting backdrop, it goes beyond exploring the usual tropes associated with such films.

The film was both a competent sports drama and a moving tale of a father and son.

Kapoor recently finished shooting for the remake. The project is gearing up for release on 31 December 2021.

Gowtam Tinnanuri will be making his debut in Hindi cinema with this project. He had revealed in an interview that it was Kapoor who wanted him on board.

In an interview with The Indian Express newspaper, the filmmaker said: “Ten days after Jersey was released, I met Shahid Kapoor. Kabir Singh (2019) had not been released yet. He had watched Jersey. He liked it very much and expressed his interest to work in the remake.

"At that time, I had no idea whether this project would happen or who would produce it. I was not even sure whether I would get to direct the Hindi remake. Later, I sent him a message appreciating his performance in Kabir Singh. He called back and told me that the Jersey Hindi remake was happening.”