Maidaan is a biographical sports drama film co-written and directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma and produced by Akash Chawla, Arunava Joy Sengupta, Boney Kapoor, and Zee Studios. The movie is about Syed Abdul Rahim, a pioneering football coach in India between 1952 and 1962. The film’s preview shows were released on 10th April 2024. Theatrically the film was released worldwide on 11th April 2024, coinciding with Eid.
Star Cast:
Ajay Devgn as Syed Abdul Rahim
Priyamani as Saira Rahim
Gajraj Rao as Roy Chaudhary
Devyansh Tripathi as Syed Shahid Hakim
Meenal Patel as Rahim’s mother
Rudranil Ghosh as Shubhankar
Baharul Islam as Anjan
Zaheer Mirza as Morarji Desai
Madhur Mittal as Fortunato Franco
Istayak Khan as Assistant coach Hari
Chaitanya Sharma as PK Banerjee
Tejas Ravishankar as Peter Thangaraj
Davinder Gill as Jarnail Singh
Amartya Ray as Chuni Goswami
Sushant Waydande as Tulsidas Balaram
Abhilash Thapliyal as Dev Mattew
Manandeep Singh as Trilok Singh Basera
Vishnu G Varrier as O. Chandrashekar
Raphael Jose as D. Ethiraj
Jayanth V. as Arumainayagam
Aaman Munshi as Arun Ghosh
Sai Kishore as DMK Afzal
Amandeep Thakur as Ram Bahadur Chettri
Tanmay Bhattacharjee as Pradyut Barman
Arko Das as Prasanta Sinha
Prajwal Maski as Yousuf Khan
Rishab Joshi as S. S. Hakim
Vijay Maurya as Indian Commentator
MOVIE REVIEW: Maidaan is a riveting sports drama that brings to light the untold story of Syed Abdul Rahim, the man behind India’s triumph at the Asian Games. Director Amit Sharma masterfully guides the audience through the world of football in India during the 1950s and 1960s. The cinematography and AR Rahman’s evocative background score add to the overall charm of the movie.
While the movie starts at a slightly leisurely pace, it quickly picks up momentum as we delve into the game strategies and discussions between Syed and the Football committee. Although the film’s runtime could have been shortened, it is essential for the comprehensive build-up and understanding of the football scenario in India back then. The second half is an exciting ride, with the last 45 minutes being particularly captivating and elevating the film to new heights. The football match sequences are undoubtedly the best part of the film, and they are executed with precision and excitement.
Ajay Devgn delivers an outstanding, award-worthy performance as Syed Abdul Rahim, capturing the essence of the character with ease. Priyamani was decent. Gajraj Rao also impresses with his portrayal of the supporting character. The young actors playing the football players, including Chaitanya Sharma, Amartya Ray, Tejas Ravishankar, Aaman Munshi, and Davinder Gill, among others, deliver remarkable performances that bring authenticity to the film. The movie concludes on a high note of sentimentality, with the end credit scenes featuring the real-life players adding an emotional touch to the narrative.
Maidaan Movie Rating:
Direction 4/5
Acting 4.5/5
Editing 3.5/5
Story 4/5
Screenplay 4/5
Overall Hit ya Flop Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars (Must Watch)
Highly Recommended 
