Ajay Devgn starrer Maidan which released on 10th April is one of the finest sports based films. The film depicts the story of the greatest football coach the country has ever had Syed Abdul Rahim or Rahim Saheb as he was fondly called. The movie starts with 1952 Olympic game where India suffered a massive 10-1 loss to the eventual silver medalists Yugoslavia. The players who played bare-foot were no match for the shoe clad and better trained Yugoslavian players. Syed Abdul Rahim was the coach of that team. The team returned to the country both dejected and humiliated and it was left to Rahim to build a new team that can at-least compete against the European teams if not win in the 1956 Olympic games. Thus began the search for fresh recruits which took Syed Rahim to different parts of the country that led to the discovery of greats like P.K Banerjee and Peter Thangaraj. Nobody expected anything from this team and the country was ready for another below par performance, but belying all expectations it defeated host Australia in the league match 4-2 and thus became the first Asian country to reach semi final in an Olympic game.
It was the pinnacle of Indian football and never again has India reached the semi final in any Olympic 
The first half of the movie takes time to build but gradually the movie comes into its own. The second half changes the pace of the movie completely. It abounds in dramatic highs and breath-taking moments, while the penultimate match and finale elevates the narrative to an all-time high.
The director Amit Sharma is a proficient storyteller, he proves his credentials yet again with Maidaan. His handling of dramatic portions deserves applause. The simmering tension between Ajay Devgn , Gajraj Rao and Rudranil Ghosh is handled with utmost maturity. The only drawback is the film’s music by A.R. Rahman which is average at best. Ajay Devgn is exemplary and only he could have done justice to the role which requires intensity and vulnerability in equal measures. The way he handles his failing health and his tussle with the football administration will blow you away. The director must have also invested a lot of time and energy to get the remaining cast right because all the characters shapes up beautifully.
It is one of the best movies that has hit the theatres this year. A must watch. Go for it.
