Farhan Akhtar
'Toofan' review: Farhan Akhtar’s our million greenback baby… Not!
Written By: Pallabi Dey Purkayastha WION Web Team
New Delhi Published: Jul 16, 2021, 12:00 AM(IST)
Toofan Movie Review
'This film is no ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ (by Mehra, again) and Farhan Akhtar is aware of that, too' Photograph:( Instagram )
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Directed by means of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, 'Toofaan' is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The sports activities drama points Bollywood actors Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal and others in pivotal roles.
Toofan Movie Rating
A rags-to-riches story is a sure-fire tearjerker, and in particular makes for a accurate cry when that rag-wearing gentleman is a Hindi-speaking, slum-dwelling Indian. Case in point: Eight Oscars’ winner ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, if you’re nevertheless asking.
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Why solely ridicule Danny Boyle for borrowing India’s sob story and supplying it to a international audience? For time immemorial, Bollywood filmmakers, too, have milked that trope—albeit a few rehashes in the underlying theme, if at all—and located their way to the hallways of various award shows: some duly deserved, others now not so much.
This year, repeating that cycle of cinematic revisionism is Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, with his contemporary sports activities drama ‘Toofaan’.
Farhan Akhtar delves deep
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The atypical but fundamental conclusion one comes to about Mehra’s repertoire is that he is a storyteller constantly standing on the severe ends of the movie spectrum—either you get a ‘Rang De Basanti’ or a ‘Mirzya’; there’s no in-between.
Unfortunately, with ‘Toofan’, he has inclined closer to the latter.
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What starts offevolved off as a Dongri’s ‘Gunda-mawali’ Ajju Bhai aka Aziz Ali (Farhan Akhtar) extorting cash earlier than eventually realizing his real calling in existence is, in fact, boxing, ends up turning into a plea for communal harmony, an exposé inside India’s boxing federation.
And then there’s the forced-down-your-throat romance between pro-choice Ananya Prabhu (Mrunal Thakur) and ‘The Storm’ himself.
A love like no other. Or is it?
Toofan review
The film’s momentum dips early on, with moments of rushed revival coming in the structure of an amiable Farhan’s easy-on-the-eye display presence, solely to fall flat once more seconds later.
Toofan review
Of all matters that ought to have—and has—gone incorrect with this sports activities drama/ social commentary, the dialogues appear to be the worst. What have been writers Vijay Maurya and Anjum Rajabali wondering when they put these dated, 90s-esque dialogues to the paper: “Naali primary pada hua mila tha (I located you in a ditch)”, “tereko slap degi principal (loosely interprets to: I shall slap you)”, amongst different equally melodramatic sentences that the actors mouth.
Toofan review
Second to that is the (unaccredited) history score: encumbered with 80s Bollywood-ish depression in excessive scenes and over-the-top glee in heroic moments.
Toofan review
All on all out?!
Toofan review
Mrunal Thakur is an affable presence in the film—sans that put-on colloquial Mumbaiya accent—and she makes an effort to have the sort of rapport Farhan’s preceding girl leads had with him, Sonam Kapoor & Co., however the pair has very little chemistry going on between them and it interprets on screen.
Toofan review
This film is no ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ (by Mehra, again) and Farhan is aware of that, too. He extra or much less keeps a strong grip over his persona and modifications his method with the ever-changing plot however the narrative of ‘Toofaan’ is past saving, top performing or not.
Toofan review
Paresh Rawal as Coach Nanu Prabhu is extra for the free-ka-gyaan and much less for the function he has been employed to do. Big, bombastic phrases do now not make up for the lack of depth in his character.
Mrunal performs the function of a doctor, Ananya Prabhu
Toofan review
At the threat of sounding hyper-analytical, we are going to say that ‘Toofaan’ is a hotchpotch of ‘Panga’, ‘Dangal’, Mehra’s personal amazing ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ and each and every different sports activities drama-cum-rags-to-riches-cum-road-to-redemption story you can assume of. And that is heartbreaking due to the fact a appropriate director fails on insipidity grounds and a desirable actor, stays underutilised.
A boxer's lifestyles in pictures
Toofan review
How did Aziz Ali come to be ‘toofaan’ (splash/storm) in speedy succession is anybody’s guess—a parallel personality even goes on to the extent of evaluating him to Muhammad Ali, twice!—but it is no Oscar-winning ‘Million Dollar Baby’. At best, we will name it the gender-reversed ‘Mary Kom’… at best!
Paresh rawal performs the toughie coach, Nanu Prabhu
'Toofaan' is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
