Much
before
filmmaker
Rakeysh
Omprakash
Mehra
and
Farhan
Akhtar
created
box
office
history
with
the
sports
biopic
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag,
the
director
had
offered
the
actor
a
pivotal
role
in
his
acclaimed
drama
Rang
De
Basanti.
Headlined
by
Aamir
Khan,
Rang
De
Basanti,
which
was
released
in
2006,
chronicled
the
story
of
a
group
of
college
students
who
turn
rebels
for
a
cause.
Mehra
had
offered
Akhtar
the
part
of
Karan
Singhania,
which
was
eventually
played
by
South
star
Siddharth.
The
director
recalled
that
Akhtar,
who
had
made
his
directorial
debut
with
Dil
Chahta
Hai
in
2001,
which
also
starred
Khan,
and
was
finishing
Lakshya
at
the
time,
was
taken
aback
when
he
offered
the
actor-filmmaker
the
project.
"He
was
truly
amused
because
he
had
just
made
Dil
Chahta
Hai
and
was
finishing
Lakshya.
I
told
him
I
wanted
him
to
act
in
my
film
and
he
could
not
believe
it
at
that
point
of
time!
I
had
offered
him
the
part
of
Karan,
which
was
the
only
author
backed
character
in
the
whole
film.
Farhan
was
fascinated.
I
could
see
the
twinkle
in
his
eyes.
He
wondered
'What's
wrong
with
this
guy
who
is
seeing
me
act
in
a
film?!'" Mehra
told
PTI
in
an
interview.
The
director
said
Akhtar
loved
the
script
but
"couldn't
see
himself
acting
at
that
point
of
time".
Years
later,
interestingly,
Akhtar
made
his
acting
debut
in
2008
with
the
musical
drama
Rock
On!!.
He
saw
a
career
turnaround
five
years
later
with
Mehra's
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag,
a
biopic
on
the
life
of
the
late
legendary
athlete
Milkha
Singh.
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag
earned
two
National
Awards
for
best
popular
film
providing
wholesome
entertainment
and
best
choreography
for
Ganesh
Acharya.
The
director-actor
duo
have
now
reunited
for
"Toofaan",
another
sports
drama
feature,
scheduled
to
be
released
on
Amazon
Prime
Video
on
July
16.
Mehra
said
both
he
and
Akhtar
wanted
to
work
together
after
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag
but
the
right
opportunity
came
their
way
only
three
years
ago
when
the
actor
called
up
the
filmmaker
with
a
story
idea
he
had
heard.
"It
wasn't
a
full
screenplay
then.
When
I
heard
the
story
idea
for
20
minutes,
I
told
Farhan
'Let's
do
this'
because
it
has
a
voice,
I
could
feel
it," he
recounted.
Written
by
Anjum
Rajabali,
with
additional
screenplay
and
dialogue
by
Vijay
Maurya,
Toofaan
traces
the
journey
of
Aziz
Ali
aka
Ajju
Bhai,
a
henchman
who
transforms
into
a
national
level
boxer.
The
film
also
stars
Paresh
Rawal
and
Mrunal
Thakur.
The
57-year-old
director
described
Toofaan
as
an
extremely
real
film,
not
just
in
the
way
its
characters
are
dressed
or
the
locations
the
film
was
shot
in
--
Dongri
and
Nagpada
neighbourhoods
in
South
Mumbai
--
but
also
in
terms
of
its
emotional
graph.
"Deep
down,
the
emotions
are
real.
In
each
character
you'll
see
your
reflection.
Through
their
struggle,
you'll
relate
with
yours,
through
their
fight
and
resolution,
you'll
get
inspired,
that
'Even
I
can
win
the
battle
of
life,'"
he
said.
The
film,
produced
by
Akhtar
and
Ritesh
Sidhwani's
banner
Excel
Entertainment
along
with
Mehra's
ROMP
Pictures,
is
character
driven
rather
than
being
plot
driven.
"It's
not
just
a
boxing
ring
film,
not
about
winning
a
bout
but
having
a
fulfilling
journey
in
your
life.
Characters
emerge
when
their
backs
are
against
the
wall,
not
when
the
going
is
good.
It's
a
story
of
people
and
relationships..."
With
Toofaan,
Mehra
goes
back
to
sports
to
use
it
as
a
backdrop
of
a
larger
storytelling.
While
"Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag"
was
his
attempt
to
understand
the
horror
of
India-Pakistan
Partition,
his
latest
is
an
exploration
of
the
difficult
lives
of
boxers.
"With
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag,
I
could
tell
the
story
of
a
normal
person
stuck
in
Partition,
through
sports,
through
conquering
the
losses
of
life
and
finding
a
larger
meaning.
Rather
than
running
away
from
your
demons,
facing
and
beating
them.
"In
Toofaan
what
sports
is
doing
to
me,
especially
something
like
boxing...
I
studied
the
psychology
of
boxers.
I
spoke
to
a
lot
of
boxers,
in
India
and
abroad.
One
thing
I
found
in
common
was
that
they
could
take
a
beating.
Not
just
a
physical
beating,
they've
taken
a
beating
in
their
lives."
The
director
observed
that
most
of
the
boxers
have
battled
severe
odds
--
from
being
born
in
broken
families
to
being
raised
in
orphanages
--
to
become
champions.
Akhtar's
Ajju
bhai
in
Toofaan
goes
through
similar
challenges,
before
realising
that
he
can
channelise
his
talent
into
something
worthwhile.
"It's
interesting
for
the
character
of
Ajju
bhai,
a
money
collector,
a
henchman,
who
is
into
'phoda
phodi'
(fist
fighting),
but
his
talent
is
being
used
in
the
wrong
way.
It's
like
you're
an
amazing
race
car
driver
but
you're
being
used
as
a
getaway
driver
after
bank
robberies.
"It
takes
Ananya's
character,
played
by
Mrunal,
to
show
him
the
mirror
and
offer
him
the
choices
in
life.
Getting
inspired
by
her,
he
goes
on
to
inspire
the
entire
nation,"
Mehra
added.