The country wasn’t in its best state those days. Gunshots echoed in Northern India. Even schools and colleges felt the impact, and then came a film release, ‘Hip Hip Hurray’! Gulzar had penned its screenplay, dialogues, and songs. However, you won’t find any mention of this film in Gulzar’s filmography on Wikipedia in 1984. Note that in 1983, India won its first cricket World Cup, and since then, what this country has achieved beyond cricket is no secret. Directed by Prakash Jha, if you’ve seen this film, then Sandeep Chowdhary’s aura in ‘Maidaan’ will remind you of Ajay Devgan’s character, Syed Abdul Rahim, while watching. The essence of the story remains the same. Just the timeline is a bit different. However, the feats achieved by Syed Abdul Rahim were never narrated in history or portrayed on the sports fields for students. In this regard, both Ajay Devgan and Boney Kapoor have done a great job by making such a magnificent film about an unsung hero of the country with great effort.
Eid’s Story of Abdul Rahim
For Hindi cinema, football has remained somewhat like an alien game compared to the quirky films like ‘De Dana Dan’. However, the focus hasn’t been much on the game of strong will and swift feet. Director Amit Sharma and producer Boney Kapoor have had a decade-long association. They first met for the film ‘Tevar’. Then Amit Sharma directed ‘Badhaai Ho’, and since then, his life until the release of this film, ‘Maidaan’, has revolved around it. The film ‘Maidaan’ has endured many hardships to reach cinemas, making it a heartfelt film. If someone watches it on their mobile after years, their heart will be filled with joy after seeing the hard work of those who made and worked on it. Thus, this heartwarming film’s story is just about a football enthusiast who, lost in his passion, decides one day to hoist the flag in the football field of the world. Although the timing isn’t ideal for the film ‘Maidaan’, being released on Eid, and since the story is about Abdul Rahim, it’s fitting to celebrate Eid.
Story of Changing the Game!
When Ajay Devgan gets a character that shakes him from within, he’s ready to do anything. And, if the character is real, then he can even do ‘Company’ and ‘The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ in the same year. He has portrayed real characters with full authenticity, from ‘Taanaji’ to now, Syed Abdul Rahim. Every fan of Ajay Devgan and the general audience of Hindi cinema will be delighted to see that there are still some people in Hindi cinema who are preserving the country, its soil, its humanity, and its Ganga-Jamuni culture. The film is an hour before the interval and two hours after. Usually, it’s the other way around, but Amit Sharma excels in breaking barriers.
The Capability of Teamwork’s Spirit
The trio of Boney Kapoor, Amit Sharma, and Ajay Devgan has created wonders through the film ‘Maidaan’, which is echoed from national film awards to various other awards. Although people may have seen Amitabh Bachchan in a similar story directed by Nagraj Manjule in the film ‘Jhund’, here, it’s something else, and its color is different. Ajay Devgan has poured his hard work into this film. Boney Kapoor’s belief in this subject brings him ahead of the producers in Hindi cinema, and the tales of how Amit Sharma sought and sculpted artists for it will remain in discussion for years to come. The dialogues written by Ritesh Shah will also play a significant role in this.
The Story that Conquered Music
The film ‘Maidaan’, with the collaboration of Manoj Muntashir and A.R. Rahman, has created soulful music, but if we keep aside the iconic scenes of smoking cigarettes by Rahim, technically, this film has turned out to be a good one. As per the story of the film, Amit Sharma, along with production designer Khayyam Mohan Kachan and cinematographer Tushar Kanti Ray, has beautifully crafted its era. For the parts related to the game, Amit sought the help of Fyodor Lyas, and when the film picks up pace after the interval, viewers hardly get a chance to blink, and this is where the editing work of Dev Rao Jadhav shines. The film has turned out well, and the number of football lovers in the country has also increased many times since the release of ‘Hip Hip Hurray’ in 1984. The film has been leaked on Telegram and various other desi and foreign websites. However, the real fun of this film is in the cinemas.
