Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, known for his stand-out movies like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), Rang De Basanti (2006) and Delhi 6 (2009), took to his Instagram page and wished Farhan Akhtar on his birthday (January 9). He also posted behind-the-scenes images shot with Farhan while filming the Milkha Singh biopic and their upcoming film, Toofaan. The latter is a dramatic story set against the backdrop of boxing.

Farhan, who had gained considerable ground as a filmmaker and an actor, playing an array of urban characters, turned the narrative in his favour when he signed up to play Milkha Singh. The industry sat up and took note of the fact that he had more to offer as an artiste than had been explored up until then. Talking about the leading man of his upcoming film, Rakeysh says, “For me, he was always a complete actor. Yes, as an actor, there are roles that are made for you and some that may not be for you. But a good actor can get under the skin of any character. I had complete confidence in Farhan when we cast him for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Deep down, my instincts had told me that he will elevate the role and take it notches higher. It turns out that he didn’t play Milkha Singh, Farhan Akhtar became Milkha Singh.”

It took Rakeysh and Farhan a few years to collaborate again for Toofaan. “This time, it was the other way around,” says the filmmaker, adding, “Farhan had a story in mind. It was written out. The screenplay had not been worked out till then. But when Farhan shared the thought with me, I liked it and we decided to work together on it.”

Rakeysh goes on to share an interesting anecdote about Farhan with us. “Not many know that I had offered him the role that went to Siddharth (south actor) in Rang De Basanti. Farhan was amused when I sent him the script. He was a new-age director with Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya behind him. We would bump into each other at a club in Bandra. From my limited interactions with him, I could sense that he has an actor within. He’s always searching and is trying to get more out of himself in every film. This was 15 years ago. I had seen an actor in him right then.”