Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra says shooting in real locations for his new film Toofan was a challenge. Starring Farhan Akhtar, Toofan follows a boxer trying to escape his criminal past in Mumbai’s Dongri. The film was extensively shot in the Dongri and Nagpada areas in South Mumbai for a month. 

“The script demanded some very real and raw locations and it was most definitely not an easy job,” Rakeysh said. “We got into it knowing the challenges, but those that were definitely worth exploring. The residents in the area were extremely accommodating and lovely to work with. Overall it was a demanding yet pleasant experience for us to work on this special film.’

Rakeysh added that shooting with a loved star like Farhan in real locations was tough. “In areas like Dongri, controlling the crowd for the first few days was also a task for the team. But gradually, the crowd became more cordial and made it easy for us to shoot."

Toofan also stars Paresh Rawal and Mrunal Thakur. The film is premiering on Amazon Prime Video on May 21.