Divya
Starring Farhan Akhtar and Mrunal Thakur in the lead, Toofaan is a movie based on a boxer and his path to redemption.
Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the film fits into the ‘I’m bored, let’s watch a movie’ category but is not the best choice.
Directed by: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Run Time: 2h 45min
Ratings: 2.5/5
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal, Hussain Dalal, Mohan Agashe, Supriya Pathak
Storyline
Aziz Ali (Farhan Akhtar), a proud man hailing from the region Dongri, is brought up amongst goons. His life revolves around corruption and ‘wasooli’ but is also eager for a good change. After handing out a few set of beatings, Aziz finds his way into a government hospital where he meets his saviour and the love of his life, Ananya Prabhu (Mrunal Thakur), a doctor within the institution.
Next thing you know, Aziz has taken up boxing and soon finds himself drawn to the sport. Wanting to get into one of the best coaching clubs around town founded by a certain Nana Prabhu (Paresh Rawal), Aziz shares his dreams with Ananya not knowing she is the daughter of the man he adored. Ananya talks to her father and convinces him to train Ali. The two bond post a slightly rocky start but the main issue at hand is the difference in religion. Prabhu being of a Hindu background and Aziz being of Islamic origins, a huge drift is created when they find out about the mutual tie that binds them – Ananya.
Fast-forwarding through the pain and hustle, Aziz’s next goal is to become National Champion while Nana just wants to lead a happy life, even if that means accepting Aziz.
What we think?
Farhan Akhtar is the only saving grace Toofaan can count on. While the storyline speaks more on the difference created because of religion, the boxing could have been more in focus. Yes, the awareness that religion holds no position when one is to understand or love a person was clearly conveyed. However, while that story found a way to light up our hearts, the boxing parts of it didn’t quite reach there.
Farhan Akhtar, as usual, has come out and made himself to be the perfect candidate for a movie such as this. From the acting to the fight sequences, we all know how hard he’s worked. Now that we have the additional knowledge that Akhtar trained extensively to hit and get hit, we’re all the more impressed with his dedication and hard work. Mrunal Thakur is a fantastic actress with a charming smile. However, her contribution to the film stands minimal. Paresh Rawal is one of Bollywood’s most respected actors, being the comedy genius and the papa we all love. Then again, for a movie that revolves around boxing, we’d like to see a coach who can throw in a few punches too.
The direction of the film comes with its own setbacks. While the storyline spoke wonders, the abrupt scenes were a little hard to enjoy. Having already had phenomenal movies based on the boxing sport in the past, this wouldn’t exactly qualify on the Top 3 list.
Hit or Miss?
A one time watch especially for Farhan Akhtar? Definitely. We recommend this as a movie to get your boredom thrown out of the window on a weekday. Sadly, this wouldn’t exactly be on our marathon movies.
