Sunny days! Farhan Akhtar, Shibani Dandekar, Javed Akhtar dine together at Zoya Akhtar's home

Shibani Dandekar and Farhan Akhtar

As a birthday gift to fans, Farhan Akhtar reaffirmed his commitment to work hard and make films that can resonate with the audience. On Saturday, he turned 47. Sister Zoya hosted a dinner, which was attended by their father Javed Akhtar. Farhan's ladylove Shibani Dandekar wished Foo (that's what she calls him) by posting a mushy message, "Love of my life, thank you for being mine."

On the professional front, Farhan Akhtar will be next seen in Toofan. Speaking of which, the actor will be seen essaying the role of a boxer in the movie. The actor spent the better part of 2019 acquiring a ripped physique for his transformation. Toofan also features Paresh Rawal and Mrunal Thakur. The project marks the second collaboration for Akhtar and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, post Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, the 2013 biopic on legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh.

In an interview with mid-day, "It was a challenge to adapt to a way of living that was [at odds with] my healthy lifestyle. Besides monitoring my exercise regimen, I had to change my eating habits and had to consume fats, carbohydrates and starch. That was tough."

Shibani Dandekar, who is also a boxer in real life, shared with mid-day, "Over the last few years, the trainers that I have associated with have helped me do that. One among them is Drew Neal, who also teaches me boxing."

"Noticing your kicks and punches improve is an incredible feeling because it implies you are growing and becoming better. Eventually, it is a sport, which means that there is a lot to learn when practising it. For instance, while I could [seamlessly] jab with my right hand, I always struggled with my left arm. That has started to improve only recently, and it feels good." Shibani also mentioned that practising it can be a stress-buster. "Boxing manages to take you into a different zone. Apart from burning calories, you also get rid of tension."