‘Maidaan’ movie review: Ajay Devgn takes a straight shot at sporting glory

Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Priyamani, Gajraj Rao, Amartaya Ray, Sushant Waydande, Chaitanya Sharma, Jarnail Singh

Run-time: 181 minutes

Storyline: The inspiring journey of Syed Abdul Rahim, considered the architect of the golden era of Indian football

Maidaan Movie: Story

It’s a story about coach Syed Abdul Rahim and his determination to build a brilliant Indian Football team and win a gold medal. The story starts in 1952 when the Indian team loses the game, and the players are injured as they play barefoot. Syed makes sure he brings together exceptional players from all over India and makes them play with good shoes and bring gold home. He does all this while fighting the system and internal battles.

Maidaan Movie: Script Analysis

Saiyan Quadras, Aman Rai, Atul Shahi, Ritesh Shah, Siddhant Mago, and director Amit Sharma have written the screenplay for Maidaan. The movie has a slow start, although the game pieces and the discussions between Syed and the Football committee keep you greatly interested. The first half is a build-up to help us understand the state of football in the country back then, how Syed Abdul Rahim gathered solid players, and the politics in the committee. We also get a glimpse of his family life. He’s a loving husband and a father, yet, football is where his heart lies the most.

The slow-paced first half sometimes makes you impatient as the story doesn’t progress much. Ajay Devgn, as Syed Abdul Rahim, doesn’t say or emote much in the first half, until the last 15 minutes when the first major twist arrives. It changes the course of the story & Syed’s life completely. Maidaan becomes an exhilarating watch in the entire second half. We finally see some emotion in Syed, who’s not only pressured with getting gold for India with his team but is also fighting a major personal battle.

What makes the second half such a brilliant watch is the overall winsome spirit it packs most of the time. The best part is the football match sequences. The emotions, thrills, and jitters you get while watching these match scenes in the movie are similar to watching a live one on TV. You cheer and clap every time Team India makes a goal. The film ends on a high sentimental note and stays with you even when you leave the theatre after watching the movie.

Maidaan Movie: Star Performance

Ajay Devgn shines in the second half as Syed Abdul Rahim. The character doesn’t say much in the first half unless he has to retaliate to those doubting his and his team’s skills. But it’s the second half where Ajay delivers an impactful performance where we see the hunger for victory and pain in his eyes. As a coach, Ajay doesn’t give his team long motivational speeches to play their game right. I wonder if the makers made the decision consciously to avoid comparisons with Shah Rukh Khan in Chak De! India or Syed was a man of few words.

Gajraj Rao’s character irked me in the first half because it was a bit caricaturish and unnecessary. However, the second half makes it meaningful and necessary in the story. Rao delivers an amazing performance with his wickedness and the transition that he goes through. Priyamani plays Syra Rahim, Abdul Rahim’s wife, and she brings a moment of endearment to the story. The actress is fantastic at speaking broken English, feels shy around her man, and knows when to speak up when something doesn’t seem right.

The rest of the cast – Chaitanya Sharma, Amartya Ray, Tejas Ravishankar, Aaman Munshi, Davinder Gill, and others who played football players are remarkable. They don’t speak much but hold our attention thoroughly with their game.

Maidaan Movie: Direction, Music

Amit Sharma took a considerable risk by making a three-hour film during times when the audience’s attention span was short. He tries to balance the first half with humor, sports, and politics, but only some things work well. However, how he presents the football matches in every game is phenomenal. Even someone who doesn’t understand the sport will find themselves cheering for Team India; such is the enthusiasm and intrigue factor in those sequences.

The director was aware that there would be comparisons with Chak De! India. Hence, when you expect Syed Abdul Rahim to give a “Sattar minute” like speech to his team, that doesn’t happen. The conversation happens either with a few words or just silence between the coach and his team. Amit offers us an outstanding second half with how he envisioned the matches and brought everything together towards the end. The entire end credit scenes featuring the real-life players and the real and reel pictures of the cast make you a bit emotional.

The music for Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan is composed by the great, AR Rahman. The songs are primarily used in the background and give you chills, especially during the last hour. My favorites from the album are Ranga Ranga and Jaane Do.

Maidaan Movie: Conclusion

Overall, if you get past the slow-paced first half and some unnecessary scenes, Maidaan is an exciting sports drama. It ignites your sporting fervor as you cheer for Team India on the big screen. The audience needs to know the story of Syed Abdul Rahim, because of whom India won at the Asian Games.