Movie: Maidaan
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Priyamani, Gajraj Rao
Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
Verdict: This inspirational biographical sports drama is a must-watch!
There’s no denying that we Indians have always had a soft spot for sports movies! One could largely associate it to the fact that when it comes to international sports, we have often gone from being the underdogs to proving ourselves as winning horses taking the world by surprise time and again before we came to establish our dominion in several sporting events globally. So, to see a dark horse fight and overcome all obstacles to succeed and finally emerge victorious is a key element that we empathise with and love in our movies. Filmmakers have exploited this ingredient on celluloid many a times, some more successfully than others. Maidaan comes in the former category as the director and the lead actor nail it to near-perfection as they bring alive on screen the true story of one of the greatest Indian legends of football – the late coach Syed Abdul Rahim, who is also regarded as the architect of Indian football.
It also highlights the unforgiving circumstances in which Indian players tried to win laurels for their motherland. Budget cuts to not even having the right shoes to play the sport, and caste and state politics, the film unveils the challenges known and unknown that the brave players faced. Simply put this was a story asking to be told and I do hope that many more filmmakers bring forth such poignant stories on the screen. While the movie has its heart in the right place, the impressive execution is where the filmmakers score their points.
Also comparisons are inevitable and one instantly and rather sub-consciously starts to gravitate towards drawing parallels with Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De India! but as the movie progresses, the hit hockey sports drama gets edged out and this football film grasps your attention fully. By the half, you are totally invested in this story and you see yourself cheer the team, feel the pain of the players and the mentor and find yourself on the edge of the seats as the climax of the final match draws near. The dialogues are simple, and make a point, though they lack a punch in several spaces when needed. The cinematography deserves a star of its own and so does the colour grading as we loved the sepia toned treatment throughout. The songs and music by AR Rahman are a highlight too and do complete justice, especially ‘Team India Hain Hum’.
Among the drawbacks, though their performances don’t leave any scope to complain, Gajraj Rao as Roy Chaudhary, and Rudranil Ghosh as Shubhankhar do look more caricaturish in their portrayal as the main villainish characters who create hurdles for Rahim through the journey. But all in all, the film makes for a great watch. It moves you at the right turns, keeps you engrossed and makes you a spectator for real on their Maidaan! All in all, impressive direction and Ajay Devgn’s performance single-handedly helps the film raise the bar by several notches. Do not miss this one!