Had Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra’s Toofaan been released in movie theatres it would have created a toofaan(storm) at the boxoffice . This is the general impression regarding the new feature film starring Farhan Akhtar as a diehard pugilist ,premiered on Amazon Prime on July 16.
Toofan breaks the jinx on the badly-received made-for-cinema feature films that were translocated to the OTT medium, like Laxmii Bomb, Coolie No 1, Radhe and Sadak 2.
Says Roshan Singh a leading exhibitor of Bihar, “The earlier feature films that were force-released on OTT due to the pandemic were sorely lacking in content. Toofaan ticks all the boxes .It would work on any screening format.”
Says Girish Johar, Producer & Film Business Expert , “We all know that Farhan and Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, give more of their 100% to each project they do. This time too they have put their heart and soul in the film. Mrunal Kulkarni is a great upcoming talent with huge potential and will have a long run in the industry. Paresh Rawal is a effortless and always a treat.”
Trade expert Atul Mohan adds, “When you have a hit combination coming together the expectation rises and this time too the Farhan-Rakeysh Mehra actor-director duo deliver a good product. Brilliant performances by all and dedication and transformation of Farhan is visible in each frame. One of the good films premiered on OTT after strings of poor films that were showcased.”
Sudhir Kumar a Patna-based entrepreneur and a diehard movie buff feels Toofaan is a turning point in the uneasy relationship between cinema and the OTT platform. “Toofaan has all the ingredients of a boxoffice hit. It had come to such a situation where I stopped myself from watching any film on OTT that was originally designed for movie theatres. I think Toofaan has broken that jinx.”
Adds exhibitor Akshay Rathi, “Toofan is a film that defines the classic underdog story, which Indians generally tend to love. A film like this would have probably had people cheering & clapping for the protagonist essayed by Farhan Akhtar, when he redeems himself. With terrific performances by Paresh Rawal & Farhan Akhtar, the film is sure to earn a lot of love & streams.”
