‘Toofan’ Premiering on Amazon Prime Video Receives Mixed Reviews

Sports drama film ‘Toofan’ starring Farhan Akhtar and Mrunal Thakur has premiered on 16 July 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.’ 

The film closely follows the life and dreams of Aziz Ali a.k.a ‘Toofan’ a street fighter from Dongri played by Farhan Akhtar.  

He desires to become a boxing champion. Being an orphan he was raised by a local gangster and therefore his path to achieve his dreams is not an easy one to traverse.  

Destiny plays its part and Aziz meets Nana Prabhu played by Paresh Rawal. Nana Prabhu is Mumbai’s best boxing coach who is also a staunch Hindu. 

He is skeptical about anyone hailing from the Muslim community and there is a strong reason behind this notion. He has his reservations about Aziz too. After witnessing Aziz fight in a ring, he comes to the conclusion that Aziz has strength but no technique. 

He gradually begins to see Aziz’s “real character” behind his rough exterior goon persona. 

After a brawl during which Aziz gets seriously injured, he visits the local doctor Dr Ananya played by the charming Mrunal Thakur. 

His visits to the clinic after his regular injuries stir up a friendship with Dr Ananya. Their friendship eventually takes a romantic turn. 

Meanwhile Aziz’s boxing journey kick-starts under Nana’s guidance. 

Like always Farhan Akhtar has delivered his best performance.  It’s interesting to witness how he plays the character of a goon to the T. Especially during his brawls you can witness the street fighter literally transforming into a beast. 

His transformation into a boxer and his skills inside the boxing ring are something to watch out for.  

Paresh Rawal does an excellent job as the no-nonsense boxing coach while Mrunal Thakur doesn’t fail to charm the audience as the high-spirited doctor who reinforces Aziz’s will to achieve his goals. Not to forget it was heartwarming to witness the camaraderie between Aziz and his friend played rightfully by Hussain Dalal. 

The film starts on a good note which will coerce you to have high expectations. Midway it fails to hold your attention span. The storyline of the film is weak and slow-paced. 

There are two major twists in the film that changes the course of Aziz’s life. The film picks up towards the second half and will keep you engaged till the end. 

It encompasses topics such as ‘Love Jihad’, inter-community marriages, corruption in the field of sports and forces us to view the issues from a different perspective. 

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s ‘Toofan’ is not for audiences who savour nail-biting films that keep you on edge. It is preferably for audiences who enjoy inspiring but slow-paced films coupled with a moral message.