Toofan: Release date of Farhan Akhtar, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra boxing film delayed due to surge in COVID-19 cases

The makers of Farhan Akhtar-starrer Toofan have delayed the film’s release owing to the surge in coronavirus cases across the country. On 3 May, the actor announced the news of the delay by posting an official statement on social media. Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the film was scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on 21 May. The statement posted by Akhtar reads, “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 on supporting our employees, their families and in helping the wider community. Therefore, we have taken the decision to postpone the release of our film ‘Toofaan’ until the situation improves".

In Solidarity 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/sLnXkXElc4

— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) May 3, 2021

In the statement, the makers also requested fans to follow COVID-19 guidelines and take precautions to stay safe, as well as urging everyone to get vaccinated. Information about the new release date is expected to be announced in the future. Akhtar plays a national-level boxer in Toofan, which marks his second collaboration with Mehra after the success of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The film was originally slated to release in theatres in October 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. Toofan also stars Mrunal Thakur, Paresh Rawal, Supriya Pathak Kapur and Hussain Dalal in crucial roles. The film has been jointly produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Mehra and Akhtar.