India hasn’t had the best track record in football (or soccer as some may prefer). But the fact-based drama Maidaan proves how some Indian underdogs still give their best to make their nation proud on the football field. Starring Ajay Devgn as former national team coach Syed Abdul Rahim, the film details India’s struggles to win gold in several Asian Games tournaments and qualify for semi-finals at the Olympics.
If you like the rousing journey of a driven coach and his team in Maidaan, our guide will take you through many more inspiring sports dramas that you can stream in India. We also show you all available deals to buy and rent these movies.
Chak De! India
This 2000s classic boasts an ensemble of promising debut actresses and Shah Rukh Khan in one of his most committed roles. Cast against type, Khan plays a disgraced Indian hockey player who becomes a tough-as-nails coach of the Indian women’s hockey team. The ups and downs of the team make Chak De! India an emotional watch.
Gold
Gold is the uplifting true story behind the Indian hockey team’s success at the 1948 Olympics with Akshay Kumar playing the team’s optimistic assistant manager. Expect similar themes and tones as Maidaan.
The Beautiful Game
The Beautiful Game is a recent Netflix drama that celebrates football while shedding light on its socio-political background. What sets it apart from other football movies is that it focuses on the Homeless World Cup, a tournament that plans on giving homeless football players a global stage.
Jhund
If Maidaan makes you want to watch more Hindi-language football films, Nagraj Manjule’s Jhund should definitely be on your list. Amitabh Bachchan play an aging sports teacher while a cast of talented newcomers play a team of slum-dwellers who battle all odds to make it out of their dire situation.
Dangal
When it comes to Indian sports dramas to watch, Dangal makes for an essential pick. The Aamir Khan-led drama is led by the journey of former wrestler Mahavir Phogat training his daughters Geeta and Babita (both of whom became leading wrestlers in the future). The film also touches upon themes like the patriarchy in the wrestling field and India’s quest for gold at global tournaments.
Next Goal Wins
Based on the documentary of the same name, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins recreates the hilariously true story of how the American Samoa soccer team made it to the 2014 World Cup Finals (despite having an embarrassingly bad track record earlier). Expect motivational speeches, strange training sessions, and Michael Fassbender giving his all as a disgraced coach.
Badhaai Ho
Maidaan is the third movie by Amit Sharma who was previously known for directing Badhai Ho. Some might argue that the Ajay Devgn-starrer is his best work but Badhai Ho has its own merits as well. Neena Gupta steals the show as an elderly woman who accidentally gets pregnant with the rest of the story taking on stigmas around pregnancy and ageism in India.
Lagaan
Nominated for an Oscar for Best International Feature, Lagaan is a cult classic when it comes to Indian sports dramas. Aamir Khan leads a group of Indian villagers in this Ashutosh Gowariker Independence-era epic as they take on their British overlords. It’s a perfect example of how social politics can blend with sports cliches.
Shaolin Soccer
Not all football movies need to be as serious and historically accurate as Maidaan. Some can be truly out of the box. Shaolin Soccer is a classic example, a family-friendly hybrid of kung fu movie action and football drama. It’s easily the wildest football movie to watch.
Bend It Like Beckham
Before Maidaan and Jhund, the best Indian football movie was perhaps Gurinder Chaddha’s Bend It Like Beckham. Following a young British-Indian footballer, the film explored both her struggles on the field and struggles within her conservative household.
