Maidaan: All work, all play for Ajay Devgn

Maidaan

Ajay Devgn has waited long to revisit the universe of Maidaan, which brings the journey of football coach Syed Abdul Rahim to the big screen. The unit, led by director Amit Ravindernath Sharma, had to halt the shoot last March due to the lockdown. Soon, in May, the makers had to dismantle the 16-acre set - a replica of an international football stadium - at Madh Island ahead of the monsoon. After an 11-month break, Devgn is now ready to step into the late football coach's shoes again as the team resumes work at Chitrarth Studio in Powai tomorrow.

The film had rolled in August 2019.

"The fourth schedule will be short. Ajay will film a few indoor portions with his co-stars who essay the roles of Indian and international football players," reveals a source from the creative team.

While the leading man, Sharma and producer Boney Kapoor stitch together the indoor sequences, another team is hard at work, re-building the set at Madh Island from scratch. Although a major portion of the sports drama was filmed before the pandemic, the director had saved the crucial parts for the last leg - 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.

The source adds, "If all goes as planned, the makeshift stadium will be ready in the first week of March. The final stint will begin on March 10, during which Devgn will film football matches back-to-back.

The football coaching of the on-screen players and physical conditioning camp have been underway since the past two months. The production team has adhered to safety norms during the fitness programme and will continue to do so throughout the schedule that will go on till April-end." The sports drama is slated to release on October 15.