Maidaan Movie Review - Strikes a GOAL
India commemorated its football "golden era," going so far as to be called the "Brazil of Asia" in the 1950s. With players like Chuni Goswami, P K Banerjee, Peter Thangaraj, Tulsidas Balaram, Jarnail Singh, and Pradyut Barman, the team won gold in the Asian Games in 1951 and 1962 and finished in fourth place at the 1956 Olympics. This squad was built and coached by Syed Abdul Rahim, who also made them play hard on the pitch.
Ajay Devgn's "Maidaan" masterfully captures "Rahim saab's" love and devotion for the game as well as how he helped to place india on the map. But rather than being jingoistic or focusing primarily on his major achievements, the movie emphasises the difficulties he had while serving. It's about how he overcame prejudice from the local media, politicians, and community to assemble a squad capable of competing with the best.
In "Maidaan," a family supports their intense love for football and begs him to select it over spending his final months with them. It talks about how all you need to defeat the most formidable opponents in any area is "jazbaa," or excitement. And one day you will silence your doubters when you are "that" good at what you do.
'Maidaan' offers director Amit Ravindernath Sharma, who is accustomed to directing 30-second ads, the opportunity to direct something almost 300 times longer. Throughout the first hour of the 180-minute movie, he did falter as the plodding pace tried your patience. But he really hits the nail on the head in the second half, thanks to a captivating narrative and some excellent camera work.
'Maidaan' offers director Amit Ravindernath Sharma, who is accustomed to directing 30-second ads, the opportunity to direct something almost 300 times longer. Throughout the first hour of the 180-minute movie, he did falter as the plodding pace tried your patience. But he really hits the nail on the head in the second half, thanks to a captivating narrative and some excellent camera work.
Special thanks to Tassaduq Hussain, christopher Reed, and Fyodor Lyass, the sports directors of photography. Since football is a movement-based sport, this is perhaps the first feature film to incorporate go-pro cameras, which heightens the suspense. The bouts are compelling, making you want to cheer for the players and even cry when they lose.
Ajay Devgn, on the other hand, is enjoying success with the surprise success of "Shaitaan" earlier this year. He gives up his 'Singham' character and fits the coach role like a glove. He is renowned for expressing emotion with his eyes, and he excels at it in "Maidaan." Despite his reserved manner and nuanced nature, he maintains his position with both the authorities and his players. In addition, the movie gave him the opportunity to explore a variety of human emotions as Rahim strives to be the best coach, parent, and spouse. He excels in the poignant moments as well, particularly as he witnesses football—the love of his life—slipping away from him.
Movie buffs will find "Maidaan" to be highly enjoyable in addition to football fans. It honours the unsung hero, without whom india would never have made it to the Olympics. In a particular incident, Rahim states, "Desire is written by foot, not by hands." Even if that was true at the time, you soon see that SA Rahim was indeed indian football's Braveheart because luck always rewards the courageous.