Boney Kapoor's ambitious film project, Maidaan, starring Ajay Devgn, has turned out to be a massive financial loss. Despite its promising premise, based on the life of India's greatest football coach, Syed Abdul Rahim, the film underperformed at the box office, earning only ₹68 crore against a staggering production cost of ₹210 crore. The film's budget skyrocketed from an initial ₹120 crore due to COVID-19 restrictions and other unforeseen circumstances, including a cyclone that destroyed the stadium set.
The production of Maidaan faced significant challenges, with the film being delayed for over four years due to the pandemic. Boney Kapoor shared his struggles in an interview, revealing that 70% of the film was complete by January 2020, but the lockdown halted production. The pandemic-related restrictions added extra costs, including ordering food from Taj for the entire unit of 800 people and maintaining four ambulances and doctors on set.
After the film's poor performance at the box office, Kapoor had to borrow money to pay his vendors, who had patiently waited for four years for their payments. Some vendors even reduced their fees by 10-15%, showing their commitment to the project. Despite the financial loss, Kapoor acknowledged the vendors' dedication and cooperation.
Maidaan is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and while it may not have achieved commercial success, it remains a notable project in Boney Kapoor's filmography. The film's failure has contributed to significant losses for Kapoor, joining the list of big-budget flops in Indian cinema.