Ever since actor Paresh Rawal revealed that a sequel to Malamaal Weekly is in the works, fans have been excited about its development.

While recent reports suggested that Maidaan director Amit Sharma would helm the sequel to the 2006 film, he firmly shut down the speculation.

“There seems to be some speculation around this, but no, this is not true. I’m not attached to the film in any capacity,” Sharma says.

Requesting an end to such reports to avoid confusion, he adds, “I’d really appreciate it if we could avoid circulating unverified information.”

Malamaal Weekly, directed by Priyadarshan, starred Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Riteish Deshmukh, Asrani and Shakti Kapoor, among others.

Twenty years ago, filmmaker Priyadarshan created a laugh riot as he told the story of a village chasing a lottery-winning ticket in Malamaal Weekly (2006). The laughs are set to return as mid-day has learnt that Malamaal Weekly 2 is in the works. Paresh Rawal and other members of the cast, which included Riteish Deshmukh and Rajpal Yadav, are expected to reprise their roles.

But there’s a change of guard — sources have told us that director Amit Sharma of Badhaai Ho (2018) fame will take up the baton from Priyadarshan.

“Amit is in talks to helm the sequel. He is excited to take the franchise ahead,” said an insider. 

The change is not only in the directorial department. Shailendra Singh’s Percept Picture Company and Sahara Motion Pictures, which produced the 2006 comedy, aren’t attached to the sequel.

When mid-day contacted Singh, he revealed, “Paresh contacted me on Sunday, asking for the sequel’s rights on behalf of an independent producer. We told him that the rights are placed between Sahara and someone else. I don’t have clear documentation in my possession.”

New Delhi: The highly anticipated release of 'Abir Gulaal', marking the return of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan to Indian cinema, has been thrown into jeopardy following the terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam. The attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people has reignited public anger and sparked renewed demands for a boycott of Pakistani talent in Indian films.

Information and broadcasting ministry sources have indicated that govt may not permit the film's release, reflecting a hardened stance amid escalating tensions. The backlash has also spilled over into the entertainment industry, with several theatre owners and film distributors expressing reluctance to screen the film, fearing public unrest and possible protests.

This is not the first time Khan has faced controversy over cross-border tensions. In 2016, after the Uri attack, Karan Johar's 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' - which also featured Khan - faced intense backlash, prompting the director to issue a public apology and commit to refraining from casting Pakistani actors.

'Abir Gulaal' was scheduled for release on May 9. However, its theatrical debut in India now appears increasingly uncertain. On social media, calls for a ban on the film gained traction, with hashtags such as #BoycottAbirGulaal trending.

Indian Film and Television Directors' Association president Ashoke Pandit condemned the timing of the film's release. "This was an act of war. National interest must come before artistic collaboration," he said, downplaying arguments around creative freedom.

Birendra Nath Tiwari, president of Federation of Western India Cine Employees, said the film would not be allowed to screen in India. "If makers proceed, we will take action," he said.

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Film Abir Gulaal, which was to be Pakistani actor Fawad Khan’s comeback vehicle to Bollywood, has run into major trouble. As per sources, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has blocked the film’s release in India in light of the terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday. On Thursday, two tracks from the film — Khudaya Ishq and Angrezi Rangrasiya — were removed from YouTube India.

Wednesday saw boycott calls for the film trending among federation heads and social media. Earlier this month, its teaser had drawn ire from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam.

The film was originally scheduled to release on May 9. Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “Sunne mein aa hi raha tha ki film release nahin ho payegi. The mood of the nation is so tense, this was bound to happen.”

Amit Sharma, MD of Miraj cinemas, says that as an exhibitor, his team “stands with the nation”. He adds, “The government is taking a call not to have any relationship with the country (Pakistan), so there is no point in us screening the film here. Looking at the situation, I had not thought that we would have released the film in any case.”

“I didn’t know we were ever that good in football,” said director Amit Sharma as he spoke about Maidaan at a conclave in Delhi. The Ajay Devgn-starrer tells the inspiring story of Syed Abdul Rahim, the football coach who led India to gold at the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games. Sharma admits that he had little knowledge about the coach when producer Boney Kapoor first approached him for the project. “It took me 3.5 years of research to start the film. Ajay’s performance is outstanding. No one else could have played this role,” he added.

Sharma, who always dreamed of making a sports film, said, “I wanted to make a sports film and a biopic, and Maidaan was both.”

About his learnings while making the film, he said, “Syed Abdul Rahim had lung cancer, and he passed away 6-7 months after winning the gold. After learning all this about him, I realised how we operate: Hamare paas kaam na karne ke kitne bahaane hain. That man was dying, (but) uska jazba itna strong tha ki gold medal leke aa gaya. Jab mere paer mein dard hota hai, to main office nahi jata. Meetings ko shift kar deta tha. I don’t keep decisions pending now; that’s what changed in me after making the film.”

About how the audience in India received his film, Amit said, “Log sochte hain football pe film ban rahi hai toh kya samajh aayega. I went to theatres and saw a lot of women in the audience. Football is an emotion in the film, and I have used tools in a way for the audience to understand football.”

If the recent re-release announcements of Gangs Of Wasseypur and Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein have you rushing to book tickets, you’re not alone. Cine buffs have been in for a treat with theatrical re-releases this year. Whether it’s to mark a film’s anniversary, generate buzz before a sequel, or simply revisit a cinematic hit, actors and filmmakers have been bringing their old films back to the big screen.

Ajay Bijli, MD of PVR INOX, says, “What’s interesting is that these films are available for free online, but moviegoers are still excited to see them on the big screen.”

Amit Sharma, MD, Miraj Cinema, adds, “September only has a couple of Hindi films scheduled for release. This is a major reason why cinemas are opting for re-releases of films with a strong fan following.”

Talking about re-releases, Yogesh Raizada, VP of Wave Cinemas, says, “Rereleases majorly work for two reasons – nostalgia for all things related to the 1990s, and a new audience that had only heard about these films but never had the chance to see them on the big screen.”

Kamal Gianchandani, president of MAI (Multiplex Association of India), adds, “The success of the re-releases validates how much people enjoy the theatrical experience. They are willing to come to cinemas despite these films being on TV and streaming platforms.”

A selection of Zoya Akhtar’s films were recently screened as part of her retrospective. Zoya Akhtar had said, “When we spoke about retrospective, there was one aspect of me which was like well, retrospective? Am I kind of done? And another part of me was jumping with joy that these films will be on the big screen again”

Imtiaz Ali’s Laila Majnu, which was first re-released in Srinagar, received an overwhelming response from the audience recently. “It gives us hope that people are coming to cinemas in huge numbers to watch old films,” the director said.

Exhibitors say that the whole of September looks very empty and dull, with only a couple of Hindi films scheduled for release this month. This is a major reason why cinemas are opting for re-releases of films with a strong fan following.

Amit Sharma, MD Miraj Cinema says, "Whenever a film is re-released, it takes a little time to grow. People start learning about the film and its re-release. It's in the second and third week when the film starts picking up. So, we are planning a 3-4 week re-release calendar for Gangs of Wasseypur, which makes more sense."

Kamal Gianchandani, president of MAI (Multiplex Association of India) says, "Some of these films can't even be classified as classics. There are several reasons for this - when these films were originally released, they were ahead of their time, or they simply didn't click with audiences. It's also a validation to how much people enjoy the theatrical experience that they are willing to come to cinemas to watch Rockstar or Jab We Met, despite these films being available on TV channels and streaming platforms. While there are various reasons why these re-releases work, the bottom line is that people are enjoying some of these older films, and it’s our job to bring them to all audiences. If people are enjoying older films in cinemas alongside new releases, then we are happy to offer them to our customers. Playing of these older films in cinemas is a reflection of the fact that these films are doing well."

History gives us stories that are richer than our imagination. Director Amit Ravindernath Sharma will agree with this. Only a few months ago, he told the story of late football coach-manager Syed Abdul Rahim with Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan. Now, the director has found his next in the faraway locales of West Africa. Sharma is set to direct Operation Khukri, based on the Indian Armed Forces’ mission in Sierra Leone.

In July 2000, several countries, including India, sent their troops to Sierra Leone as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission. This was the first time when the peacekeeping mission was being spearheaded by an Indian soldier as Force Commander. But soon, Indian soldiers were surrounded and held hostage at Kailahun in the West African country. Indian Armed Forces’ personnel from 14th Mech Infantry, 5/8th Gorkha Rifles, Para SF Forces, Indian Air Force and several different divisions came together to execute the rescue mission, named Operation Khukri. The event highlighted the Indian Armed Forces’ professional competence internationally.

Excited about adding a mission film to his résumé, Sharma calls it a once-in-a lifetime project. “I am happy that Athena E&M and Chrome Pictures are backing this important story waiting to be told,” he says. Doing justice to the story and its scale will be tough, he admits.

“The biggest challenge is to showcase the massive scale of this operation, which involved various parts of Indian Armed Forces. Added to that is the complexity of telling a story inspired by true events, which happened in a foreign territory.” 

Casting will be finalized at a later stage. For now, Girish Kohli of Kesari (2019) fame is penning the script. He says, “The scale of the operation and the pride factor attached with the rescue mission made for a compelling cinematic retelling.”

Just three days before its release, actor Ajay Devgn’s Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha was pushed to a later date. As rumours go, the makers decided to move it due to the release of Kalki 2898 AD. This isn’t the first time that such a decision was taken and experts weigh in on the repercussions.

Marketing a film can make or break a film and Varun Gupta, head of Max Marketing, who also handled Kalki 2898 AD, which had a date change, says, “I remember with Jersey (2022), the makers realized they will clash with KGF - Chapter 2 (2022), which had a lot of advance booking. I think the same happened with Auron Mein... They didn’t think Kalki 2898 AD would have such a craze in the North. For Adipurush (2023), there was overestimation and no films were released two weeks hence.”

Further, Gupta adds, “With Pushpa 2 - The Rule, two songs are out, but they are lyrical, and the teaser doesn’t tell the story, either. The problem occurs when the makers’ don’t have new assets to create a buzz during the new date.”

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh is all praise for Auron Mein... makers for opting out of the clash and says, “Postponing a film impacts the finance as interest mounts. It would’ve been immature to be stuck on, ‘Hum toh issi date pe aayenge’, knowing Kalki 2898 AD was a storm.”

When a big-budget film is postponed, it messes with the entire year’s release calendar. Amit Sharma, Managing Director of Miraj Cinemas, tells us, “Pushpa 2 - The Rule was slated for August 15, but the date change turned the entire calendar upside down. Release of small and mid-budget films are majorly affected as they look for the right time to come out to grab more eyeballs.”

There are several factors that play a part in creating buzz around a film — media interviews, social media collaborations and on-ground promotions, where actors visit colleges, shopping malls, restaurants, etc, around the country — that are slated in advance. Danny Singh handles film promotions in North India and calls this a “big issue”.

“If a film gets pushed by 15 days to two months, it’s tough to reorganize interviews. It’s not producers, but people like me who are affected when events are cancelled. They don’t spend on actors’ trips to different cities; Hotels, colleges, malls, etc, pump in money in return for the actors’ visit.”

In the past, Singh has faced legal entanglements when actors have postponed or cancelled an event. He rues, “Colleges and event sponsors have sued us for the same. Stars also cancel at the last minute and the production house simply says, ‘Artist ka mood nahi hai’.”

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In India, as a programmer, there are atleast 40 movie titles that we handle a week. It made sense to push Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, with Kalki 2898AD already doing well. It is a logistical issue.

- Devang Sampat, Managing Director, Cinepolis India

The Telugu epic sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD has buoyed the Indian film box office market by garnering over Rs 350 crore in domestic and over Rs 500 crore in global box office collections including India.

According to film trade website Sacnilk, the film grossed Rs 369 crore domestically and Rs 146 crore from overseas markets in the first four days since its release on June 27.

The film, which draws inspiration from Hindu mythology and features Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani, is the first major blockbuster hit of 2024 in an otherwise underwhelming first half due to a lack of big releases.

As per Ormax Media, the cumulative domestic box office collection stood at Rs 3,791 crore between January and May, with Fighter and Hanu-Man being the only films to gross over Rs 200 crore at the box office.

Experts believe that Kalki has done well across segments and markets due to its star power, strong content, and high-quality production value.

"Kalki is doing well not just in metros but also in non-metros. The film has a healthy mix of star power and content. The production quality and the VFX are also very good," said film trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

While concurring with Adarsh, Elara Capital SVP Karan Taurani said the film could collect box office collections of up to Rs 700 crore domestically and up to Rs 900 crore worldwide.

Cinepolis India MD Devang Sampat said the footfalls of cinema, though 15% below the pre-pandemic level, will remain at the same level in 2024 and 2023.

"The footfalls in the first half have remained at the same level as in 2023. In the second half, films like Kalki, Pushpa 2, and Singham Again are expected to drive footfalls," he noted.

According to Ormax, the total cinema footfalls stood at 943 million in 2023, compared to 1.03 billion in 2019.

Miraj Entertainment MD Amit Sharma said Kalki is the second biggest Telugu film opening ever after Baahubali 2. "Kalki is undoubtedly a pan-India film, considering its diverse cast from the Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil film industries. The movie has done fantastic business overall."

Experts note that the second half of the year will see a rebound of the box office after a lull in the first half due to the Indian Premier League (IPL), the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, and the general elections.

"The content line-up looks promising across both Indian and Hollywood films. We have strong franchise-based films like Pushpa 2 - The Rule and Singham Again. There are other mid-budget movies that could do well," Taurani added.

Adarsh said it's difficult to predict the box office numbers for the second half due to the volatile nature of the film and exhibition industries.

"With upcoming releases like Sarfira, Indian 2, Bad Newz, and Deadpool & Wolverine in July, the box office numbers should remain strong, similar to the performance we saw last year in August," said Miraj Entertainment’s Sharma.

In the first half of 2024 Bollywood saw a lull at the box office. There weren’t too many big-ticket films released, and those that did, performed below expectation. Fighter, Shaitaan, and Crew brought in some moolah, and some medium-budget (Srikantj, Munjya, Article 370, Madgaon Express) films clocked in good numbers, but overall, the numbers didn’t give the industry a reason to celebrate. As we look ahead at the second half of the year, BT talked to industry experts to understand their expectations and hopes from the upcoming lineup of theatrical releases and why exhibitors are relying on Telugu films to bring in phenomenal numbers.

Industry experts seem quite optimistic about the second half of the year. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, “We are optimistic. Hopefully we will recover lots more.”

Amit Sharma, MD, Miraj Entertainment Limited, chimes in, “The past six months have been really dull for Bollywood, however, the calendar for the upcoming months look exciting. We have a medium budget get film coming in every month, along with big budget films. And to have that mixed slate is important. The next six months are going to be really crowded at the box office. I am positive about the business. The next six months we will repeat the numbers that we did last year.”

Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi stresses on the importance of tentpole movies. He explains, “The second half of the year looks a far more promising because you have a much higher number of big-ticket releases. We have pan-India movies ranging from Kalki 2898 AD and Pushpa 2 - The Rule to big Tamil movies like Indian 2 and then of course, there is Singham Again, which is one of the biggest franchises. These big-ticket entertainers are the true-blue theatrical watches. Hopefully, these films will create an impact and get revenues for multiplexes, single screens - tier one, tier two, tier three - everywhere across the board.”

Devara, Kalki 2898 AD, Pushpa and Game Changer are few of the pan-Indian movies that the trade experts are pinning their hopes on. Moreover, Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX Ltd, mentions that Hollywood movies such as Deadpool & Wolverine, Joker, and Venom 2, might be saviours in the second half of 2024. 

Anand Pandit says, “Indian makers are no longer making films for a single demographic.” He also said, “Every year, we may not be able to deliver back-to-back blockbusters but as long as we remain creative, inspired and optimistic, we will always see more success than failure.”

Akshaye Rathi elaborates, “It is not that we don’t have confidence in Hindi films, but there aren’t as many big-ticket Hindi films coming out this year. It is a year run by Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar on Hindi front. There is no Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor or Ranveer Singh film releasing. Hence, this dependence on the Telugu movies is huge.”

Films expected to be money spinners from July-Dec 2024

1. Kalki 2898 AD

2. Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

3. Sarfira

4. Stree 2

5. Singham Again

6. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3

7. Chhaava

8. Welcome to the Jungle

9. Sitaare Zameen Par

10. Baby John

11. Devara

12. Game Changer

13.Kanguva

14. Indian 2

15. Pushpa 2

The general election has weighed heavily on the box office in April, amid delay in releases and underperformance of Bollywood films, experts said, adding that the scenario will remain unchanged or worsen in May. According to Ormax Media, gross domestic box office (BO) collections for April stood at Rs 457 crore - below the Rs 500-crore mark for the first time since February 2023.

A year ago, in April, the gross box office mop-up was at Rs. 618 crore, led by the performance of Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan II.

This year, despite Eid, Ugadi and Tamil New Year holidays falling in April, only one film managed to cross Rs 100 crore at the box office, according to the report. Malayalam action-comedy Aavesham was the top grosser, garnering Rs 101 crore.

Two more Malayalam films, Manjummel Boys and Aadujeevitham - The Goat Life, earned more than Rs 100 crore at the box office so far this year. However, the second-highest grosser in April, Hindi action thriller Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, only managed Rs 73 crore, followed by sports drama Maidaan, at Rs 61 crore.

Miraj Entertainment managing director Amit Sharma said, "Elections have kept film releases away post-Eid."

"Due to this, April has been one of the worst months so far," said Sharma of Miraj. He also pointed to subpar performances of the two Hindi releases in April and indicated that a dearth of big openings may lead to further deterioration at the box office in May.

PVR Inox executive director Sanjeev Bijli expects a surge in moviegoers after the election. "What will change is the robust pipeline. People (will be) back at cinemas because of the supply... the appetite to go out and watch movies has always been there," he said during the company's fourth quarter earnings call recently.

Cumulative box office collections for January-April are Rs 3,071 crore, on a par with the same period last year.

The top grossers of 2024 till now are Fighter (Rs 243 crore), Hanuman (Rs 240 crore), Shaitaan (Rs 179 crore), Manjummel Boys (Rs 170 crore) and Guntur Kaaram (Rs 142 crore).

Hindi films had the highest share of gross domestic collections (36%), followed by Telugu (21%), Malayalam (19%), Tamil (9%) and English (8%).

There is little that Kajol hasn’t done in her three-decade-plus career, from headlining blockbusters to playing grey roles and recently foraying into digital entertainment. Interestingly though, a horror movie was sorely missing from her filmography. Not anymore. The actor is attempting the genre with Chhorii (2021) director Vishal Furia’s next Maa.

Saiwyn Quadras, who has penned the horror fare, says that the movie has its origins in the making of Maidaan. It turns out the conversation began unexpectedly on the sports drama’s set when leading man Ajay Devgn enquired about Quadras’ other projects.

The Maidaan writer recounts, “Ajay sir and I started discussing a few ideas, which we could develop for his banner. He asked me if I had a story in the supernatural space for Kajol. Maa is a purely original horror fare, with a heavy dose of emotions that you wouldn’t expect in a supernatural film. After he liked the concept, he asked me to make Kajol ma’am listen to it. She loved it. It’s the first time that Kajol ma’am is working on a supernatural emotional drama. She keeps saying that she might not watch Maa as horror films scare her.”

Maa, with screenplay by Amil Keeyan Khan of Shaitaan fame, went on floors in Mumbai in February-end, followed by a schedule in Kolkata and parts of West Bengal in March. As Furia conducts the third leg in Mumbai, Quadras says that having seen Kajol in action, he can’t imagine anyone else in the role of a Bengali mom.

“We are making a supernatural movie, but with her around, we are always laughing. Kajol ma’am is a natural in front of the camera. If there is an emotionally intense scene, she [is fully in that moment], and as soon as she hears cut, she is back to cracking jokes and singing songs. The gravitas she brings to the mother’s role is fantastic,” he shares.

Even as he looks forward to Maa, Quadras holds his last work Maidaan close to his heart. “While the expectations from the film were high, the emotional resonance has been rewarding. As writers, we need to be mentioned when films are announced like Amit R Sharma and Boney Kapoor did during Maidaan’s trailer launch. Ajay too announced my name when they launched Maa. Few filmmakers are secure enough to do that.”

Chaitanya Sharma aka Slow Cheeta jokes that Amit R Sharma is “the Virat Kohli of directors”. To the rapper-actor, the director is the force that built an on-screen football team for Maidaan. How did he bag the Ajay Devgn-starrer? Out of the blue, says Chaitanya.

“[Until then], I was either a big fish in a small project, or a small fish in a big project. I was shooting for Apna Time Aayega [Gully Boy, 2019] when I was spotted. I used to play for a football league called Roots. That day, we were losing 2-0, and I scored a hat-trick to win us the game. Maidaan’s first assistant director Atul [Shahi] was there to scout for talent. That was the start. Next three months were gruelling because I kept auditioning again and again. I had to learn a monologue in Bengali. When I was sent to train in March 2019, I realized it’s happening for me,” he recalls.

Chaitanya, who steps into the shoes of the late P K Banerjee, says the opportunity left him stunned. “P K Banerjee was the [Indian] footballer of the century, and it sounded unbelievable that I could crack it,” he shares.

Through Devgn’s character of coach-manager Syed Abdul Rahim, the sports drama looks at Indian football’s golden era between 1952 and 1962. Chaitanya’s most memorable day of the shoot was when Banerjee visited the set in Kolkata.

“I was shooting the entry sequence the day he dropped by. I was flying through the field that day. I saw the man in a wheelchair watching someone play him. His biggest asset, his legs, had given way because he was paralyzed. He gave a book to Ajay sir, and opened the first page to sign it for him. His hand wasn’t stable, so I thought he’d write his initials. But he wrote Pradip Kumar Banerjee. It took him five minutes, but he did it. That underscores his spirit. I was sobbing when he left. Yesterday, I found out that his daughter watched the film and thought I did justice to his part. What can be a better compliment than that!”

Even though he featured in Gully Boy, Chaitanya considers Maidaan his debut. For him, it’s the most emotional experience of his life. “When I did Gully Boy, I’d tell people I star in the film. But for Maidaan, I tell everyone, ‘My movie is out this week.’ This film is a tribute to the men whose stories have remained untold, and we were lucky to tell the tale.”

P K Banerjee, who was the first Indian football player to receive the Arjuna Award

Arun Ghosh is played by Aaman Munshi

How does one cast for a biopic? In the words of Maidaan’s director Amit R Sharma, you get someone who resembles the real person. But it doesn’t end there. The Ajay Devgn-led sports drama, based on the life of manager-coach Syed Abdul Rahim, traces the Indian football team’s rise in the international arena between 1952 and 1962. So, the film also demanded actors who played the sport.

“I wanted people who can play football, act well, and match the [original players’] physicality to the T,” starts Sharma. “I made my casting director Vaibhav’s [Vishant] life hell. I told him, ‘I want humshakals’.”

The casting began in 2019, with the team scouting for faces across Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Hoshiarpur, West Bengal, Kerala and Goa. With Devgn in the central role, Sharma needed to build a team of 11, depicting the Indian squad of the ’50s that included Subimal Chuni Goswami, P K Banerjee, and Tulsidas Balaram. While Chaitanya Sharma steps into Banerjee’s shoes, Amartya Ray plays Goswami and Aaman Munshi is Arun Ghosh.

The director recalls, “From 6,000 actors, I picked 11. My film had to be authentic. PK Banerjee sir told me, ‘Whoever you get for my role, he should have big thighs like me.’ I wasn’t sure if the thighs would be a replica, but the faces match. He came to the Kolkata set, in a wheelchair.”

Under Rahim’s leadership, the Indian team won gold medals in the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games, and played the semi-final of the 1956 Summer Olympics. Sadly, the talented players have been forgotten in our cricket-obsessed country.

Sharma rues, “Other than football-playing states like Kerala, Goa, and West Bengal, no one knows about the laurels of the ’50s. Sir Stanley Rous, who was the FIFA chief, gave India the moniker ‘Brazil of Asia’. We were that good. PK Banerjee was so powerful that he would tear the net. Chuni Goswami was a goal scorer. Arun Ghosh was a fabulous defender.”

With Maidaan, Sharma wants to give Rahim’s team the glory they deserved. “I’ve made the film as a tribute to the players. Syed Rahim’s dream was to see football being played in every gully of the country. Can’t we find 11 players in a population of 140 crore? In the 1960 Olympics, a burly man praised Balaram’s game and asked him for his jersey. That man was the late Muhammad Ali.”

The late P K Banerjee has been essayed by Chaitanya Sharma

Maidaan went through so many delays that when director Amit R Sharma finally announced its April 10 release, Priyamani refused to believe it. “Amit Sharma said, ‘It’s releasing on this date, else I will change my name.’ I told him it was a challenge,” laughs the actor.

Jokes aside, she is glad that the sports drama, set in the ’50s, gave her a meaty role. While Ajay Devgn steps into the shoes of football coach and manager Syed Abdul Rahim, Priyamani plays his wife, who was his pillar of support.

“The character was [treated] by the makers exactly how they narrated it to me. Whenever I would ask them if any of my scenes were cut in the end, they said, ‘Not at all. You aren’t there to just establish the family. The family has an important role in the film.’”

The icing on the cake was working with Devgn, something she had wanted for a long time. “He is such a brilliant actor and what he has brought to this film and his character is phenomenal.”

With Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan (2023) and now Maidaan, Priyamani has collaborated with two male superstars of the Hindi film industry. Not surprisingly, she cherished every bit of the experience.

“Ajay sir and Shah Rukh approach their characters differently. Maidaan’s set-up was a little serious. But off camera, Ajay sir would enquire about how the south industry functions, how the directors and actors are. With Shah Rukh, we got along like a house on fire. Every evening, he’d bring his guitar and music system out, and we all would jam. What each brings on screen is completely different, but both of them are phenomenal.”

Beginning with The Family Man, the National Award-winning actor has steadily amassed a new fan base in the Hindi-speaking audience in addition to her south audience. She says, “I feel grateful that the industry is seeing me as capable of pulling off these roles.”

Amit R Sharma’s last theatrical offering was the wonderful Badhaai Do (2018), which won multiple awards. The director has had to brave the pandemic, lockdowns and multiple delays to ready his next, Maidaan, led by Ajay Devgn. What has he learnt from the experience? “Patience,” says Sharma. 

He believes that the biopic of Syed Abdul Rahim, who was the Indian football team’s coach and manager between 1950 and 1963, deserves time and care. If it took him five years to make it, so be it. 

“The story was such that I couldn’t detach myself. Even when we wrote the film, we didn’t want to do a rushed job. When we started out, Syed Abdul Rahim’s Wikipedia page had Jarnail Singh’s picture. We met [Rahim’s] son Hakim saab. When Rahim started out [as a coach], his motivation was solely that India should be recognised the world over.”

Sharma is a cricket fan, like the majority of the Indian population. As he went ahead to tell the football coach’s story, it was the man, not the game that drew him.

“I’ve played cricket all my life. When I said yes, it was for the charm of the man. I had to learn [so much]. The football rules of the ’50s were different. There was no foul, no red and yellow cards before. There were no substitutes for injured players. Novy Kapadia [football journalist and commentator] helped us capture the mood of the ’50s. Today, I can even talk to [Lionel] Messi about football.”

The biggest challenge was to give the leading man memorable scenes even as he stayed off the field. “He is the mastermind [of the game], but how do you give him importance? He had to be the story’s hero. We worked on detailing. I didn’t want the people from the football team watching the film and saying it’s not authentic. Ajay trusted our vision.”

In a crucial scene in the trailer, Devgn is seen giving a pep talk to the players. Tell him it feels similar to the memorable ‘sattar minute’ scene of Chak De India (2007), and Sharma notes, “But they are different films and different sports altogether. Football and hockey are sports where the coach plays a major role. You play mind games with the opposition. We devised game plans. Match scores are available on Google, but we had to make the five minutes [of each match] an edge-of-the-seat experience.”

Neena Gupta began her journey in the world of entertainment at Prithvi Theatre. During a Stage Talk session held at the Prithvi Festival, which concluded recently, she reminisced, “We (the NSD gang) would often hang around here hoping producers and directors watching the plays might spot us and offer work. During that time, I met Prahlad Kakar (ad guru), who used to manage the café here. He offered me some work in his ad films and let me work in the café. This is where I learnt to make Irish Coffee, one of the most popular items on the menu. On one occasion, I prepared baingan ka bharta in the kitchen and Prahlad enjoyed it so much that he requested me to make it daily and in return, I received complimentary dinners.”

Sharing that her parents opposed her joining films, Neena said, “My mother looked down upon Hindi films and preferred only English cinema. However, once I saw myself on the big screen in ‘Aadharshila’ (1982), I thought, ‘Mujhe yahi karna hai.’ Ussi samay main tabaah ho gayi (smiles).”

Originally, she planned to stick to theatre. She recalled, “In college, I was mostly cast in male roles and as male house helps in plays because I was taller than the other girls. I was too shy to ask the director for the main part. I would rehearse the lines of the heroine at home and felt that I performed better than the heroines. My first ever significant act in a play was ‘Aadhe Adhoore’.”

Talking about her experience on stage, she said, “Theatre is truly magical, and there’s no comparison. As an actor, when you are on stage, nobody can touch your performance. In films, they have the power to touch your work, edit scenes, or even remove your part entirely. However, when I am on stage, I am the king. Facing a live audience is an incredibly exhilarating experience. I used to be extremely nervous during my initial shows at Prithvi because it felt like the audience is right on your lap, but that’s the ultimate test of an actor.”

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for her. At one point she found herself being typecast as the comic relief side-character. After ‘Saath Saath’ (1982) became a hit, in which she played a small part of a naïve girl, she recalled Girish Karnad telling her, “You’re finished, and you will never get a heroine’s part again.”

She said, “Unfortunately, that’s exactly what transpired, and all I got offered for the next two years were similar roles.” The turning point in her career was ‘Badhaai Ho’ (2018). All praise for director Amit Sharma, she said, “I loved the script, but the thought of wearing a stomach pad throughout the film and not looking glamorous did not sit well with me at first. But Amit Sharma brought out the best in me. He made me give 20-25 takes even for a simple line like ‘Jaldi Chalo’. Ek toh confidence shake hota hai. Amit would enact the scene so brilliantly ki abhi tak ek line hai jo main uske jaise nahi kar paati hoon and I am reminded of it every month. Similarly, I still can’t do what Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah) does. The reason for it is we are not focused and relaxed.”

Talking about how the changing landscape of cinema has enabled actresses to explore and experiment with characters, Neena shared, “I wish I were younger, as there are far more opportunities now for the new era of actors. I aspire to do comedy and romance. I want to write a romantic story for myself. I want to do a full-blown action film. In fact, I am eager to take on an action film offered to me where I have a double role, but I have yet to hear back from them.”

However, she also agrees that today she is content with her current filmography. “Today, I can afford to turn down projects. In the past, I had to say yes to everything. I remember feeling liberated the first time I declined a project (laughs!). Today, If I have to think twice about taking on a role, I won’t take it up. It’s as simple as that,” she signed off.

It has been a long but creatively satisfying journey for Ajay Devgn and director Amit R Sharma as they shaped up Maidaan over the past three years. Even as they have yet to lock the release date, Sharma and producer Boney Kapoor are showing their passion project to their industry friends. It turns out the sports drama has earned a nod of approval from Aamir Khan, who watched it at Sharma’s Andheri office last month.

Since Khan is known for his discerning eye for cinema, Sharma and Devgn were keen to show Maidaan to him. Sources say the actor was left moved by the period piece that chronicles Indian football team’s success between 1952 and 1962 under the leadership of coach and manager Syed Abdul Rahim, including in the 1962 Asian Games.

A source from the creative team reveals, “Ajay recently saw the film and it only bolstered his faith in it. The makers then showed the movie to Aamir Khan, picking his brain as he had fronted one of Bollywood’s most successful sports dramas, Lagaan [2001]. The superstar turned emotional after watching the first half, moved by the struggles and victories of the Indian football team. After the screening, he congratulated Amit for skillfully helming the movie, one that he considered a tough story to tell.”

The team will release Maidaan’s 165-second trailer soon, ahead of its release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

If there’s anyone who understands the lasting impact of the first impression, it has got to be the film director tasked with luring the audience with an impactful trailer. As though condensing a three-hour narrative into a three-minute teaser isn’t challenging enough, a director must also make this first glimpse so irresistible that cinemagoers begin to count down to the day of the release.

Evidently, then, Ajay Devgn intended to leave no stone unturned when presenting his long-in-the-making sports film, Maidaan, the trailer of which was edited by the team that deftly chops the movies of the likes of Christopher Nolan.

A trade source tells mid-day that during his time spent in London, director Amit R Sharma took the film to the Trailer Park Group team, which created the trailers for Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023), Tenet (2020), and Inception (2010).

“Producer Boney Kapoor has employed the best crew, equipment, and technicians for this film. This is also the team that made the trailers of Marvel’s Black Panther [2018], and Eternals [2021]. In India, trailers have usually had a defined template, and the makers wanted to break that mould, which is why this step was taken,” says the source, adding that the VFX has also been done by an international team.

That leading man Devgn found the edit exciting, emotional, and dramatic, all at once, implies that the team was assured that it would find favour among viewers. “Despite comprehending the film only via the subtitles, the American team did a phenomenal job,” says the source.

Set in 1950s India, Maidaan, which sees Devgn play the part of Syed Abdul Rahim, known as the architect of modern Indian football, will release in five languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. It marks the Hindi film debut of National Award-winner Keerthy Suresh.

One would think that Amit R Sharma has a flair for telling stories about lust, or the lack of it. After all, his last directorial venture, Badhaai Ho (2018), saw a couple reviving their romance after decades of being married.

“Badhaai Ho could have actually been a Lust Story! A lady from Kolkata had called me, saying that while watching the film, her husband and she held hands in a theatre for the first time in 30 years,” he recounts.

Yet, the director admits his first reaction was hesitation when Lust Stories 2 was offered to him. “All of us are [only beginning to] know the term ‘lust’. So, I was [hesitant], thinking, ‘Me? Really?’ That said, I was sure that if I got an exciting story, I would make it,” explains Sharma, who is joined by filmmakers Sujoy Ghosh, Konkona Sen Sharma and R Balki in the Netflix anthology.

For his segment, Sharma cracked the story of a woman, whose husband is attracted to their help. The next challenge was to get the casting right. While Kajol was his first choice for the central role, he was unsure whether she would be interested in it.

“I was doubtful if she would say yes. But to get Kajol and Kumud Mishra as a couple was unbelievable. They made my life so easy, giving me [a far superior] performance than I [anticipated]. It was a difficult casting to crack. My team and I had multiple discussions, but the moment we paired these two in our head, it made sense.”