Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar is the latest celebrity to bring his film out of a COVID-enforced hibernation to announce the release date of ‘Toofan’.
The sports film, which sees Akhtar play a boxer, will release on Amazon Prime Video in mid-July. In a post on Twitter, the actor revealed more details, posting: “With humility, love and in dedication to the fighting spirit of the beautiful people of our nation, our film ‘Toofaan’ will be releasing on July 16th.”
The movie is directed by Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra, who had previously directed Akhtar in ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.
The project had been on the backburner for months, ever since India was hit by the second wave of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the makers announced they were postponing the release from May 21 after being distressed with the on-ground situation in India at the time.
“The situation in India is truly heart-breaking, and we at Excel Entertainment and ROMP Pictures send our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by the pandemic. In light of the severity of the situation, our focus is completely on the pandemic and supporting our employees, their families, and in helping the wider community,” tweeted Akhtar at the time.
He added that ‘Toofan’ was originally meant for an October 2020 theatrical release, but they were forced to take the film to a streaming platform instead.
‘Toofan’ also stars Mrunal Thakur and Paresh Rawal and was shot in the Dongri slums of Mumbai and at the Gateway of India.
A day earlier, Akshay Kumar also announced the makers of ‘Bell Bottom’ were ready to release their film, only they were heading to the theatres with the spy thriller, releasing worldwide on July 27.
We can expect more announcements to grab headlines in the coming weeks as India’s situation improves.
