Ajay Devgn's ambitious sports drama, Maidaan, fell short of its box office expectations despite critical acclaim. The film, which chronicled the life of Syed Abdul Rahim, a legendary coach of the Indian football team, was produced on a massive budget of over ₹200 crore. While it garnered positive reviews upon its theatrical release, it struggled to attract audiences, ultimately grossing only ₹60 crore domestically.
Director Amit Sharma recently addressed the film's lukewarm reception in an interview with DNA. He revealed that despite the initial box office disappointment, Maidaan found a dedicated audience on OTT platforms, where it received an overwhelming response from viewers. A post shared by Amit Sharma (@iamitrsharma) Speaking to DNA, Amit said, “When the film was released, a lot of people did not watch it.
But whoever watched it only praised it. They all appreciated it. I was making rounds of the theatres, and I saw the reaction of the public watching it.
It was amazing. After it released on OTT, I was flooded with messages and mails. Many said they should have watched it in theatres, but at the end of the day, you can’t force people to go to theatres.
” He went on to add, “Of course, it comes to your mind as to why numbers are not increasing when the public is appreciating it and the reaction is positive. But I couldn’t find the reason for why the big numbers did not happen.” A post shared by Amit Sharma (@iamitrsharma) Maidaan, starring Ajay Devgn, Pri.