By Joginder Tuteja




After Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, another big film to have arrived straight on OTT this year is Toofaan. After watching the film which has premiered on Amazon Prime, one common sentiment all over is that this was meant to be a big screen watch. After all, the kind of action that is seen in the boxing ring belongs to the kind that is best enjoyed in the most optimum audio and visual set up.


Despite a running length of just under three hours, the film in fact turns out to be an entertaining watch. Yes, it has predictable elements out there, especially the ones inside the ring. That is expected as well since there is a particular graph that is followed in the rise, fall and then rise of a sportsperson. Also, unlike cricket, footfall or other major sport that has a much longer duration of play, boxing lasts just for a few minutes due to which it is near impossible to plug in any surprise, unconventional or unpredictable moment.


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This is where Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and writer Anjum Rajabali (also the writer of another film with a major element of boxing, Ghulam) have done well in bringing in a few unpredictable elements outside the ring. The religion angle, love story, intolerance, reason behind suspension from boxing and then a major turn of events in the second half ensure that despite one knowing about the way Toofaan would conclude, there are still several moments in the film that one can't see coming.


What could have been taken care of though was the manner in which the middle of the second half unfolded, especially after a watertight first half. Too many dull moments coupled with unnecessary songs (none of which hold your attention) occupy around 20-30 minutes in this part of the film, which makes one a bit impatient. However, since the sequences leading to pre-climax and then the climax are good, the film again manages to get back into the fold. Moreover, with Farhan Akhtar impressing big time as an actor as well as a boxer, Toofaan works well.


Coming soon


It's going to be season of comedies soon, what with as many as two films belonging to this genre arriving on the same day. While 14 Phere premieres on ZEE5, Hungama 2 is going to be a Disney+Hotstar release. Both the films were originally designed for theatrical release. While 14 Phere was always meant to release around this time of the year, Hungama 2 has been ready for a year and after having waited for long for theaters to reopen, it is now finding OTT release for itself.


Let's talk about 14 Phere first. The film features the lead pair of Vikrant Massey and Kriti Kharbanda. Vikrant was in fact recently seen in Haseen Dillruba where he had an intense part to play. However in 14 Phere, he would be seen in a light hearted avtar. He has already shown his funny side in Ginny Weds Sunny but there he was required to go over the top. In 14 Phere, it is more of a 'hero type' role for him. As for Kriti Kharbanda, she has a knack for bringing sunshine on screen when she arrives on screen. The same is expected from her in 14 Phere as well.


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Hungama 2 comes from the house of Priyadarshan and it is 8 years after Rangrezz that he is back to making a Hindi film. There was a time when he as churning out films regularly (he has over 75 films to his credit as a director) but in the last 8-10 years, he has slowed down a bit. Now he is back with Hungama 2 and while Paresh Rawal, one of the regulars with him, is taking center-stage in the film, there is also Shilpa Shetty making her comeback on the big screen 14 years after Apne. As for the younger couple, there are Meezaan Jafri and Parantiha.


By the look of things, Hungama 2 comes across as a family comedy and would take viewers back to the start of the new millennium when several such movies were churned out. In fact Priyadarshan was the architect of several such films [Hungama, Hulchul, Chup Chup Ke, Garam Masala] and audiences can well expect to settle for nothing less than that with Hungama 2.


Release dates


14 Phere - ZEE5 - 23rd July


Hungama 2 - Disney+Hotstar - 23rd July


(Joginder Tuteja is a trade expert and film critic, and loves to talk and write about anything that is related to films. Views are personal)