Maidaan trailer: Ajay Devgn has a Chak De India moment as his underdog team strikes gold in this sports biopic

After a prolonged delay, fans will finally be able to watch Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan in April this year. The makers dropped the film’s eagerly awaited trailer on Thursday. Ajay Devgn steps into the shoes of coach Syed Abdul Rahim, celebrated as the mastermind behind the modernisation of Indian football, in the film. Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, Maidaan delves into the golden era of Indian football spanning between 1952 and 1962.

The trailer begins with Ajay’s voiceover as he says, “We aren’t the largest country, neither the richest. Half of the world doesn’t know us. Football can create our identity because the whole world plays football. So, India needs to focus on making a world class team for the next 10 years.” We then see Ajay get into strategic mode as he looks for players who can play in any position. While he assembles a team, with some players coming from the slums of India, he is questioned for his choices. While Ajay marches on with determination, he faces failures and promises to never coach again if he loses at the Asian Games.

The official synopsis describes Maidaan as “the true story of an unknown hero who created history and records for India such that even 60 years later, we are not able to match upto those accomplishments in the most played sport in the world, football”.

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Like Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De India and Akshay Kumar’s Gold, Maidaan too shifts the spotlight from athletes to the resilience of the coach, depicting their journey towards a historic triumph. Previously, the makers had released a teaser showcasing Ajay Devgn’s character as he leads India on a groundbreaking journey in the world of football.

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Joining Ajay Devgn are Priyamani, Gajraj Rao, and Bengali actor Rudranil Ghosh in pivotal roles. Produced by Zee Studios, Boney Kapoor, Arunava Joy Sengupta, and Akash Chawla, with screenplay by Saiwyn Quadras and dialogues by Ritesh Shah, the film boasts a musical score by Oscar winner AR Rahman. Despite setbacks due to the pandemic, Maidaan is poised to hit screens worldwide on April 10, on the occasion of Eid.