Maidaan (transl. Field) is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language biographical sports drama film co-written and directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma and produced by Akash Chawla, Arunava Joy Sengupta, Boney Kapoor and Zee Studios. Ajay Devgn plays the role of Syed Abdul Rahim, a pioneering football coach in India between 1952 and 1962.[5][6]
The film's preview shows were released on 10 April 2024. Theatrically the film was released worldwide on 11 April 2024, coinciding with Eid.[7] The film underperformed at the box office, grossing ₹68 crore worldwide.[8]
At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the Indian national football team faces a major defeat against Yugoslavia with a score of 10-1. The members of the All India Football Federation blame the coach Syed Abdul Rahim for the team's underperformance. Rahim requests for permission to form another team with new players. The members of the federation are reluctant, especially Subhankar, but Rahim receives support from President Anjan, who grants him permission. Rahim then scouts for players from all over India and forms a new team consisting of Tulsidas Balaram from Secunderabad, Peter Thangaraj from Hyderabad and P. K. Banerjee and Chuni Goswami from Calcutta among others. Roy Choudhary, an influential journalist from Calcutta holds a grudge against Rahim, as he has formed the team with very less number of players from Calcutta.
Rahim decides to spend his remaining days at home with his family and has frequent coughing fits. His wife, Saira, motivates him, telling him to not give up and pursue his dream of leading the Indian team to win a gold medal. Rahim requests the federation to let him coach the team again and promises that if the team does not win a gold medal, he will not coach any team again in his life. Subhankar, who is now President, initially refuses but has to give in to his request as the other members of the federation give their votes to let Rahim coach the team.
Rahim begins to coach the team again and prepares them for the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. However, the Finance Ministry refuses to let the Indian team participate in the competition, given insufficient funds. Rahim personally speaks with the Finance Minister Morarji Desai and convinces him with the condition that only 16 players will be allowed to go for the competition. Rahim leaves out the rest, including his son Hakim.
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