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EXCLUSIVE: Syed Abdul Rahim’s grandson Fazeel calls Ajay Devgn ‘class actor’; expresses gratitude to Boney Kapoor
In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Syed Abdul Rahim’s grandson, Fazeel, has showered acclaim on the recently released trailer of Ajay Devgn starrer Maidaan.
The countdown to the release of Maidaan, the biographical sports drama revolving around football coach Syed Abdul Rahim, has begun. Featuring Ajay Devgn in the lead role, the movie’s final trailer was released recently, garnering immense praise from the viewers. Adding to the accolades, Syed Abdul Rahim’s grandson, Fazeel, has conveyed his heartfelt praise for the trailer as well as Ajay’s performance, in an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla. He also extended gratitude to producer Boney Kapoor for bringing the inspiring story to the silver screen.
Syed Abdul Rahim’s grandson Fazeel reacts to trailer of Ajay Devgn starrer Maidaan
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Fazeel, son of Syed Abdul Rahim’s daughter, revealed that watching the trailer of Maidaan left him short of words but he would still try to express his sentiments since they needed to reach the right people. Appreciating the final trailer, he said, “It was a fantastic and a brilliant trailer. It was like you guys have hit a last minute goal to win the match exactly seven days before the release of the movie.”
Continuing to laud the details, Fazeel stated, “Maza aa gaya dekh ke trailer (I enjoyed watching the trailer). Hats off to the marketing team for their marketing strategy, just blown away with it. Jis tarah se Priyamani ji ka scene start hota hai, woh conversation husband and wife ka (The way Priyamani’s scene starts, the conversation between husband and wife), ‘India ko lagta hai hum nahi jeetenge’ to Ajay sir’s ‘Hisaab chahiye mujhe,’ har dialogue pe I had goosebumps. (Every dialogue gave me goosebumps)."
Feeling a connection to the story, he recalled what his mother used to say about his grandfather: “‘Rahim sahab zindagi me unki bahut kam baat karein magar unki aankhein kafi cheezein bayaan kar deti thi’ (Rahim sahab used to talk less in his life but his eyes were enough to convey a lot of things)."
Fazeel lauds Ajay Devgn’s performance in Maidaan
Speaking about Ajay Devgn’s casting, Fazeel expressed, “So you’ve got the right person, Ajay sir, in this movie to portray my grandfather’s role. He is no doubt a class actor, he is an acting institute within himself. The way he carries my grandfather’s role, from walking to smoking, and his intense eye, I don’t have words. Woh jhuk ke chalna, woh hath me bag pakadna, wah maza aa gaya (Walking while bending, holding a bag in hand, wow, what fun it was)."
Talking about the Rahim family’s anticipation, he said, “Pata nahi movie dekh ke toh hum kitna hi rone wale hain. Hum logon ka excitement itna hai ki kuch samajh nahi aa raha ki hum nervous hain, excited hain, happy hain, emotional hain (I don’t know how much we’re going to cry after watching the movie. Our excitement is so high that we’re not sure if we’re nervous, excited, happy, or emotional). But we all are waiting, counting days. This could be the biggest Eid gift we have got.”
Fazeel expresses heartfelt thanks to Boney Kapoor for making Maidaan
Fazeel also showered praise on producer Boney Kapoor, saying, “And thanks to Boney sir, he has done this movie on a very grand scale, no doubt why he's a class producer. After all they say that they are Kapoors, filmmaking is in their blood which shows in each and every scene of Maidaan final trailer.”
Recounting his meeting with the filmmaker, Fazeel shared, “Boney ji ki ek baat meko humesha yaad hai jab mai mila tha almost 4 years back, ‘Ek murde ko zinda karke parde pe laa raha hun, tu dekhna, duniya dekhegi woh movie ko aur Rahim sahab ka jo due hai he will be rewarded’ (I still remember one thing Boney ji told me when I met him almost 4 years back, ‘I am bringing a dead man back to life on screen, you’ll see the world will watch the movie’). Woh din kareeb hai, 6-7 din bache hue hain, (That day is close, 6-7 days are left) and an entire nation wants to watch this movie.”
Coming back to the trailer, Fazeel mentioned, “From husband-wife drama to finding players, boardroom discussion to ground scene, to making it look so realistic of that era. Like seeti marne dil bola aur dialogue sun ke rone dil bola (My heart wanted to whistle, and hearing the dialogue, it wanted to cry). All I can say after watching the trailer is that the entire Rahim family is proud of this movie.”
Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to Boney Kapoor and disclosing his wish to meet him in the next few days, Fazeel stated, “I’ll first touch his feet and I will hug him. When I am telling this, I’m way too emotional right now. But I’ll hug him way too tight for bringing my grandfather on the silver screen where the world will be watching him and his emotional journey.”
He continued, “Couldn't have asked him for more, such a grand lavish production. What a trailer, what a teaser, sufi song Mirza Ghar Aya to Rahman sahab’s music India hai hum, the background score. You guys have made sure ki picture release hone se pehle it’s a super duper hit (You guys have made sure that even before the film is released, it’s a super duper hit)."
Calling Ajay Devgn the shadow of his grandfather, Fazeel conveyed, “And you guys have made it ki audience aake Rahim sahab ki journey dekhein, Rahim sahab ko jaane (You have made sure that the audience comes and watches Rahim’s journey and get to know him). And thanks to Boney Ji for this, for trusting the script, and for making sure Ajay Devgn sir plays my grandfather’s role. He looks super awesome from start to end aisa dikh raha tha mere grandfather ki parchai hai mere aankhon ke saamne (It seemed like my grandfather’s shadow was in front of my eyes)."
He concluded by saying, “We all are excited. We all are looking forward to it, and I’m looking forward to meeting Boney Ji and the rest of the star cast to thank them. Let's hope for the best and I’m pretty sure this movie will rock it.”
Maidaan, directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, hits the big screens on April 10, 2024.
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