The last time Farhan Akhtar and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra came together was for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a well intentioned but tiresomely told story based on the great Milkha Singh’s life. In Toofaan, all the trappings of a commercial sports biopic are again summoned and a few minutes into the film the fatigue has already set in. An underdog pulsating with passion, finds direction and purpose in life under the watchful eyes of his coach. All roads then lead to a nail-biting climax where his victory is inevitable. In Toofaan this trajectory remains unchanged. Ajju bhai (Farhan Akhtar) is the Dongri ka gangster who redeems himself as the skilful boxer Aziz Ali.
Since Aziz never gets to represent India internationally it’s not so much a film demonstrating national pride but an individual’s personal triumph. Be that as it may, the fact that Anjum Rajabali’s screenplay never manages to rise about the formulaic and one is so familiar with the beats here that after a point we even start…