'Maidaan', the biographical sports drama, was released in theatres today. The Bollywood flick has received a 4-star rating from Times of India. "The narrative’s highlight is how succinctly it packs in so much about the era, the football team, and Rahim’s personal challenges without losing its grip on the storytelling. You will stay hooked, cheer, and be moved throughout the film," the daily wrote in its review.
However, other reviews were not this glowing. "Ajay Devgn plays Syed Abdul Rahim with a patent sincerity and only a hint of the slo-mo swagger. His rag-tag team has the kind of composition so syncretic that it makes you ache with nostalgia," wrote the reviewer at Indian Express. "Ajay Devgn takes a straight shot at sporting glory. The film doesn't overtly dramatize that while Rahim's chaps are scaling new heights on the field, he is losing the battle to a deadly disease," the reviewer at The Hindu added.
NDTV felt that the film sacrifices depth at the altar of disproportionate grandstanding. "Played with admirable restraint by Ajay Devgn, the character of Rahim towers over everything and everyone else in the film," the review added.
