Entertainment

Maidaan Review: Ajay Devgn and Gajraj Rao Shine in Brilliant Sports Biopic

Chak De! India, starring Shah Rukh Khan, opened in theaters when I was a student. I still clearly recall going out with other moviegoers to yell “India, India,” to celebrate every victory as if it were a live match, and to cry when the movie ended. Even after its over 17-year theatrical run, the movie remains a standard for Bollywood sports movies. I’ll admit that when I entered the theater to see Maidaan, I was ready to make associations with Chak De! India. While the SRK film and the Ajay Devgn feature followed different paths, they both offer an amazing cinematic experience.

Amit Sharma is the director of Maidaan, which has Ajay Devgn in the lead role. The film is based on the life of Syed Abdul Rahim, a football coach, and the occasions leading up to India’s victory in the Asia Games in 1962. Along with Ajay, Priya Mani plays Ajay’s wife, while Gajraj Rao plays a journalist in the movie. The squad also includes several new players, such as Madhur Mittal from Slumdog Millionaire and Chaitnya Sharma, also known as SlowCheeta.

Coach Syed Abdul Rahim, also known as SA Rahim, has goals, challenges, and accomplishments that are all included in the movie. Along with trying to assemble a squad that can win every game, the coach has to contend with opposition from protestors, a writer who is seeking redress, and the corrupted football association. All this is for the sake of using football to help place India on the global map.

If I had to sum Maidaan up in one word, I’d say it’s thrilling—but only in certain sections. First, let’s tackle the big issue—the three-hour running time. Is it worthwhile to endure it all? Absolutely, in my opinion. To present a substantial film, director Amit Sharma has not made any runtime compromises. Maidaan is a video that takes time to see since it covers several occurrences, including the personal battle of coach Rahim, problems with the squad, the political atmosphere that affects sports and matches, and tough contests. Amit gives you ample time to become involved in every turn of events.

This makes the build-up to the climax more masterfully executed. Maidaan gains a lot of insight from the errors made by earlier Bollywood sports dramas. Use 1983 as an illustration. Despite how wonderfully the characters landed, the film lacked substance. Amit fixes it by using a comprehensive strategy.

Maidaan has some problems, despite being positioned like a skillfully played field. The movie’s overemphasis on dramatic sequences is a major problem. To make the movie tighter, there are a few situations that may have been more precise. The movie’s predictability was another problem I had with it. Some people would also gripe that Maidaan experiences a lot of low points before experiencing happy points. It seems to me that Maidaan is being treated like a football game. Not every match will have its high points at every turn, and no two matches are alike. Even with its writing flaws, Maidaan keeps your interest throughout the whole movie.

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Ajay Devgn is the biggest striker in this football match. In Chak De! In India, Shah Rukh Khan played an expressive coach, but Ajay’s Rahim is the total opposite, reminding us that much of the communication is done by his eyes. While Gajraj Rao enthralls you with his portrayal of a vengeful journalist, Ajay keeps you committed to him and his character. Gajraj Rao’s role on screen is likely going to cause a stir for the first time in his career since Black Friday. He is deserving of the praise. The football team’s actors are equally amazing in their roles. On the big screen, Priya Mani is simply amazing. No matter who superstar she is paired with, she can captivate the attention of the camera and have chemistry with them all; Maidaan is just another example.