Farzi is an Indian Hindi-language crime thriller streaming television series created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 10 February 2023. It centres on the world of counterfeit currency in India, exploring the moral conflict between an artist who turns to forgery and a special task force officer determined to dismantle the racket. The Hindi word farzi translates to "fake" or "counterfeit", which directly references the show's central theme.
| Title | Farzi |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime thriller, drama |
| Language | Hindi |
| Created by | Raj Nidimoru, Krishna D.K. |
| Directed by | Raj & D.K. |
| Production company | D2R Films |
| Distributor | Amazon Prime Video |
| Premiere | 10 February 2023 |
| Number of episodes | 8 (Season 1) |
| Country | India |
The series follows Sunny, a small-time painter living in Mumbai with his grandfather, who runs a struggling newspaper that critiques the country's growing inequality. Frustrated with the social and financial system, Sunny uses his artistic skills to print near-perfect counterfeit Indian banknotes. He partners with his friend Firoz and is eventually drawn into the larger criminal network of Mansoor Dalal. As the operation expands, Michael, an unconventional officer leading a special task force on fake currency, begins closing in on the syndicate.
Farzi was developed by the filmmaking duo Raj & D.K., who had earlier created The Family Man for Amazon Prime Video. Writing was credited to Raj & D.K. along with Sita R. Menon, Suman Kumar and Hussain Dalal. Cinematography was by Pankaj Kumar, with editing by Sumeet Kotian. The original score and songs were composed by Sachin–Jigar, with the track "Paisa Paisa" featuring prominently in promotional material.
Principal photography took place primarily in Mumbai. The series was produced by D2R Films, the production banner of Raj & D.K. It was officially announced in 2020 and was originally conceived as a feature film before being expanded into a long-form series.
Farzi was released worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on 10 February 2023 in Hindi, with dubbed versions available in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English. The series received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi and Kay Kay Menon, as well as the writing and direction. It became one of the most-watched Indian original series on the platform in the weeks following its release.
The series and its cast received nominations and wins at several Indian streaming and entertainment award ceremonies in 2023, including recognition for direction and performances.
Farzi is notable for several reasons within Indian streaming entertainment:
A second season of Farzi has been announced as part of Amazon Prime Video's slate of Indian originals, with Raj & D.K. continuing as showrunners.