Critics Review
3.25
Winner
Keeping the flaws aside which are anyway not that disturbing for the flow, it is a classy presentation of a pride event that took place in the history of Indian Football. Follows the footsteps of a template sports drama, yet strikes the right chord.(more)
Source: Ashwin Ram, MovieCrow
2.00
Sacrifices Depth At Altar Of Disproportionate Grandstanding
To heighten conflict, Maidaan falls back on an array of familiar tics. A woman delivers a pep-talk when a piece of shocking news threatens to break Rahim's spirit. The man takes a tough decision about his son when India's participation in the 1962 Asiad - which constitutes the film's climax - is under a cloud. Crowds in Jakarta turn against the Indians, leading to rioting and sloganeering on the streets and in the stadium. Everything that can go wrong goes wrong for the team. Rahim, being the man he is, takes it all on the chin. The lead actor gets into the skin of the character without breaking a sweat. But the film is seldom that firm-footed. Maidaan tells an overlong, peppered-with-fiction narrative that struggles to balance the real and essential with its unabashed goal of working the audience up into a frenzy.(more)
Source: Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV Movies
3.00
Ajay Devgn Starrer Ignites The Sporting Fervour In You As You Cheer For The Indian Football Team On The Big Screen!
Overall, if you get past the slow-paced first half and some unnecessary scenes, Maidaan is an exciting sports drama. It ignites the sporting fervour within you as you cheer for Team India on the big screen. It�s important for the audience to know the story of Syed Abdul Rahim, because of whom India won at the Asian Games.(more)
Source: Pooja Darade, Koimoi
2.50
Ajay Devgn film makes you want to clap, cheer and shed a proud tear
Maidaan is not without its flaws, but this underdog story makes you want to clap and cheer, and wipe away a proud tear.(more)
Source: Shubara Gupta, Indian Express
2.00
Snooze Soccer
Maidaan is its truest when the real faces behind that historical win surface in their old glory. Too bad it's the end of what could have been a beginning.(more)
Source: SUKANYA VERMA, Rediff.com
4.00
Ajay Devgn strikes gold, yet again
Maidaan is not only a treat for football enthusiasts but also quite a delight for movie lovers. It immortalises the unsung hero, after whom India never qualified for the Olympics. Rahim, in one scene, says 'Kismat haathon se nahi, pairon se likhi jaati hai (destiny is written by foot, not hands)'. While it was the truth back then, you realise in reality, luck favours the brave, and SA Rahim was truly Indian football's Braveheart.(more)
Source: Sana, India Today
3.00
Ajay Devgn is the soul of this stunningly-shot sports drama with a heart
A special mention to the bunch of fresh faces portraying football players, who make the game look as real as it could possibly be. Chaitnya Sharma aka SlowCheeta as PK Banerjee, Tejas Ravishankar as Peter Thangaraj, Davinder Gill as Jarnail Singh, Amartya Ray as Chuni Goswami, Sushant Waydande as Tulsidas Balaram, Tanmay Bhattacharjee as Pradyut Barman among others put up their best foot forward sweating it out while kicking the ball out of the park in the matches they play. Maidaan does get melodramatic at places it could have avoided, but what's a sports film without a bit of a drama on the field and off it, too. Watch this film on the big screen to feel the adrenaline rush, enjoy some thrilling football and laud a coach who was as good as his team.(more)
Source: Monika Rawal Kukreja, Hindustan Times