'I had doubts...': Amit Sharma on casting Ajay in 'Maidaan'
There is significant anticipation surrounding the upcoming sports drama Maidaan, featuring Ajay Devgn and slated for April 10 release. Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, the movie is based on the life of Syed Abdul Rahim—a revered Indian football coach. In a recent interview, Sharma revealed he had doubts about Devgn playing the lead role because the image he had in mind was that of Singham—a character Devgn is well-known for.
'I had my own doubts': Sharma's hesitation
Speaking to Indian Express, Sharma—celebrated for his National Award-winning comedy Badhaai Ho—stated, "I had never worked with him before, so I had my own doubts." "You build an image in your mind of an actor and his image in my mind was of Singham. But he broke that." "He would keep the stardom of Devgn outside the set. Once in, he would be Syed," he added.
Devgn's metamorphosis into Syed
Further in the interview, Sharma stated that he observed a transformation in Devgn during their character discussions. "When we started having conversations about him, I remember at one point he was standing like Devgn does, with swagger, and by the end of it, he was standing like Syed," Sharma reminisced. "I told him he would be wearing loose pants because you're a coach and you won't think what you're wearing...he never once asked about his physical experience."
'It was frustrating but I kept my cool': Sharma
Bankrolled by Boney Kapoor, Maidaan—which reportedly kicked off production in 2019— encountered numerous delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Nisarga cyclone. Despite these obstacles, Sharma remained patient and firm. "I knew what isn't in my hands I can't do much about it. So I kept my cool, had patience, didn't make any hasty decision that let me do this or that." "I let things fall in place and kept the film first, frustration second," he stated.
'Maidaan' boasts a stellar cast and AR Rahman's melodies
Maidaan features a stellar cast including Priya Mani, Gajraj Rao, and Rudranil Ghosh in key roles, with a musical score by AR Rahman. More recently, Sharma also opened up about why Mani was selected to star alongside Devgn, replacing the earlier choice—Keerthy Suresh. Disclosing the reason, in his chat with News18, Sharma revealed: "Suresh had lost a lot of weight. I wanted Syed's wife to look a particular way."
