Shabana Azmi, Poonam Dhillon, Vatsal Seth and Pooja Hegde heaped praise on Amit Ravindernath Sharma-helmed Maidaan starring Ajay Devgn in a video shared by the period sports drama’s producer Boney Kapoor on Wednesday.

“#Maidaan has struck a chord with the stars, as their applause continues to echo long after the movie ends. Experience S.A. Rahim and #TeamIndia's tale of glory in a theatre near you,” Kapoor wrote on Instagram alongside the video, which shows the Bollywood celebrities talking about Ajay’s nuanced performance as India’s legendary football coach Syed Abdul Rahim.

The video begins with veteran actress Shabana’s reaction. “Ajay Devgn is absolutely fantastic. The film touches you so, so deeply,” she said, stressing the ‘inspirational’ narrative of the movie.

Pooja, known for films like Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Radhe Shyam and Beast, echoed Shabana’s sentiment and commended the ‘heartfelt’ storyline of the film. “Really loved it. It’s absolutely heartfelt,” said the 33-year-old actress.

Poonam said Maidaan made for an amazing viewing experience, while Vatsal highlighted Ajay Devgn’s terrific performance in the film.

Based on the life and challenges of football coach Syed Abdul Rahim, Maidaan takes viewers back to the golden era of Indian football. Gajraj Rao plays an influential journalist whose relentless criticism of Rahim and his team management serves as formidable obstacles on the coach’s path.

Rahim, however, is determined to fulfil his dream of seeing India win a medal at an international competition even in the face of all the difficulties. He is vindicated when the Indian football team bags gold by defeating South Korea at the Asian Games.

Maidaan also stars Priyamani, Rudranil Ghosh, Chaitanya Sharma, Amartya Ray, Davinder Gill and Tejas Ravishankar. Released on April 11, the film has garnered over Rs 25 crore at the domestic box office.