Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra gives you freedom to own the character: Farhan Akhtar

Mehra directed Akhtar in 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' and the upcoming film 'Toofaan'

Actor Farhan Akhtar says that he has tremendous respect for ace filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra as he gives one creative freedom, thus making the job easier.

"I have tremendous respect for him as a filmmaker and as a person. He encourages one to take responsibility for the character in question, which gives you creative freedom. I really enjoyed working with him and our work will speak for itself," he told DH.

The star, who is a filmmaker himself, added that Mehra has a unique approach to filmmaking as he attaches a great deal of importance to the emotional impact of each scene.

"He discusses scenes in terms of the emotions involved and not the technicalities. This makes him a philosopher director," said the multi-talented artiste.

Akhtar and Mehra collaborated for the 2013 release Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, which emerged as a critical and commercial success. It was based on the life of the late Milkha Singh and established the 'Far Out One' as a bankable name. The National Award-winning sports drama had an impressive cast that included Sonam Kapoor, Divya Dutta and seasoned actor Pavan Malhotra.

Akhtar hopes to recreate the magic with his upcoming film Toofaan, which marks his second collaboration with Mehra. The film features him in the role of a boxer and has created a fair deal of buzz with its trailer. The Rock On! hero has worked on his look to do justice to the part. In fact, 'The Flying Sikh' had some time ago praised his transformation for the film.

Toofaan features actor Mrunal Thakur, who previously acted in John Abraham's Batla House, as the leading lady and marks her first collaboration with Akhtar. The trailer suggests that she will get ample scope to showcase her abilities. The flick has an impressive cast that includes Paresh Rawal, Vijay Raaz and Supriya Pathak.

Toofaan is slated to release on Amazon Prime Video on July 16.