New Delhi,June,14: Boney Kapoor would probably not agree, but it’s sort of serendipitous that Maidaan — a movie that had a catastrophic theatrical run not too long ago — debuted on streaming after the elections. Perhaps now, its themes of nation-building and unity can be appreciated properly, because back in April, it couldn’t help but feel like the movie was selling a pipe-dream. How could one man go on a countrywide quest to blur the lines between caste, religion, and culture, while also defending the idea of democracy and collecting critical allies in one fell swoop? It all seemed outlandish mere weeks ago, but now, Maidaan offers something more meaningful than generic sports drama; it offers catharsis.
Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, Maidaan stars Ajay Devgn as Syed Abdul Rahim, the influential football coach who led the Indian team to its golden era back in the 1950s and ‘60s. During this time, India delivered unprecedented results at the Olympics and the Asian Games, results that it hasn’t been able to replicate since. Rahim — a one-man army of sorts — faced pushback from corrupt bureaucrats who were in cahoots with egotistical journalists, as he endured personal attacks in the press and, in the most pivotal moment of his career, was ousted from the very institution that he’d sworn to serve. Doesn’t that ring a bell?
