Mumbai gets new maidaan in Malad

The model in Boney Kapoor's office

While Ajay Devgn is busy shooting for SS Rajamouli's RRR, Maidaan director Amit Ravindernath Sharma is simultaneously prepping for the March schedule of the biopic on football coach Syed Abdul Rahim. The director has saved the crucial portions of the sports drama for the next stint - on the cards are the sequences depicting the Indian football team's victory at the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games, and the semi-final match at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. mid-day has learnt that the unit is currently building a makeshift stadium at a coastal fishing village in Malad for the shoot. Considering the 1956 Olympics was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the 1962 Asian Games, at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta, these two venues are serving as reference points for the makeshift stadium.

The Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta

A unit member reveals, "While there are football stadiums in Mumbai, we were not able to get bulk dates in March from them for the shoot. Another reason why Amit was keen on building a set from scratch was that the kind of grass used in football stadiums in the '50s differed from what is currently used. Though it is a minor detail that may not reflect on screen, he wants his film to be as authentic as possible. So, the production team is currently building a huge set modelled on the two international grounds. Boney Kapoor [producer] has taken over a dozen acres of land in a coastal village in Malad for the same. The producer has a grand vision for the film. They also have a 20-foot miniature stadium model in Boney's office."

The director has stayed true to the game while choosing the supporting cast as well. "Amit wants the game to look as real as possible on screen. So, he has chosen people who are well-versed in the sport."

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