Farhan Akhtar: 'Everything I do, consciously or subconsciously, is partly a tribute to Milkha Singh'

Actor Farhan Akhtar and director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra on the sets of 'Toofaan'. Akhtar spent over a year training for the role of boxer Aziz Ali.

After a winning partnership on the National Award-winning Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, actor Farhan Akhtar and filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra have regrouped for another sports-based drama. However, unlike the 2013 biopic about athlete Milkha Singh, Toofaan (Amazon Prime Video from 16 July, 2021) is a fictional drama about a boxer.

Akhtar embarked on an intense training regime to prepare for the role of Aziz Ali. Aziz is a local goon whose life changes when he meets the compassionate Ananya (Mrunal Thakur). His coach Nana Prabhu (Paresh Rawal) and Ananya encourage and inspire Aziz Ali to find his purpose in the boxing ring.

In an interview, Mehra and Akhtar spoke about their latest venture and its themes. Excerpts:

Farhan, where did the story germinate, and did you always visualise yourself playing Aziz's part?

It is difficult to zero down on the exact moment when the idea hit. It was a combination of reading many things that were going on around us and when I  spoke to Anjum Rajabali, who really shaped the story and screenplay, we wanted to figure out something to create a catharsis for this very wounded time we are in. There is so much us-and-them going on at so many different levels. We wanted to tell a story that would apply some kind of ointment to it. That's the starting point. So it was an idea of a film talking about love, understanding and acceptance of the other, regardless of differences. A film that is not about judging someone or forming an opinion based on labels but more on character. We put these thoughts into the story and presented it in the world of boxing which is a violent world so that is a metaphor - how do you find peace within this world.

Yes, I absolutely wanted to play this character, right from the time that I imagined him.

Your physical transformation required you to go from peak fitness to acquiring a ‘dad bod’. How did you achieve that?

Learning to box and getting fit was a challenge, so I had to eat right and keep energy levels up. That also reflects in your physique. Then, after close to 12-13 months of training and getting into shape, performing to that level, I had a three-month break to let go of it all. That was not easy at all. Before getting into the T of training for this movie, I thought letting go would be a cakewalk. I thought it would be my reward after working so hard and that I would have three months to eat and drink what I want. But within a couple weeks of that life, I could not do it. It was very tough to eat more than I could possibly consume. I had to add 10-12 kg in three months. But I also had to maintain a certain level of training because after finishing shooting I had to come back to my normal form. The toughest thing was the mind refusing to let it go because the body and mind were feeling great.

It’s been 20 years since you directed Dil Chahta Hai. Looking back, how do you feel about your debut film?

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to make these films, especially Dil Chahta Hai. After 20 years I think I had the enthusiasm and an idea but then people like Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Sonali Kulkarni, Preity Zinta, Ravi K. Chandran (cinematography), Suzanne Caplan Merwanji (production design), Shankar Ehsaan Loy (music) came on board to collaborate to make a first time filmmaker's dream come true. I feel someone was really watching over me with a big smile on their face and blessings on my head. That experience solidified my love for movies.

Rakeysh, while Toofaan is about Aziz Ali, which is the author-backed role in the film?

When I was doing my study of a boxer’s life and boxing stories, I realised that there is always one person - father, mother, sister, guru, wife, enemy, coach - who motivates you in a certain way. So we developed the central character of Ananya, played by Mrunal Thakur. She is the author-backed role in this film and she is the force, spirit and soul through which everything else resonates. Farhan's character draws strength from her. Yes, the display is entirely his, but when he is getting beaten in the ring, she is the one feeling the pain most. She is also the one who encourages him to take his pain in life and channelise it into something positive.

Farhan, Toofaan is releasing the same year that Milkha Singh, on whose life you made a biopic, passed away. Both films are on sports but are there any similarities between them?

Everything I do, consciously or subconsciously, is partly a tribute to Milkha Singh. I have learnt a lot from his life and his dedication and approach to life. I spent thousands of hours talking to him, understanding his journey and imbibing that. I learnt what it means to never give up, the value of hard work. There are so many positive elements I drew from him. Milkha Singh has not passed away. He lives on, from 1929 to infinity. He is among those whose life you can draw on forever. That is legacy. In filmmaking, you learn that everything is about perpetuity. My attempt is to make a film that lives forever. It may not happen even 90% of the time, but if you are lucky, the film will live on and grow forever.

Also read: Review | 'Toofaan': Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing