Watch: Bollywood sets of Ajay Devgn’s ‘Maidaan’ destroyed by cyclone

The sets of Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn’s sports drama ‘Maidaan’, a gigantic football stadium spread over a 16-acre plot, has been wrecked after cyclone Tauktae struck Mumbai.

“It’s the third time that I will have to re-construct the same set. Due to the rains last year, I dismantled it and then after it came back up it had to go down again because of COVID-19 filming restrictions. And, now the cyclone has destroyed it ... It’s a big loss for us in terms of money and effort,” said producer Boney Kapoor in an interview with Gulf News.

His film was almost complete but there were scenes set in the now-destroyed football stadium that were yet to be filmed. The pivotal scenes comprising the nail-biting matches have already been filmed.

“I will have to wait till June 1 to decide what to do know next ... Expenses of re-building a set has gone up considerably after the pandemic due to the shortage of stuff, restricted working hours, and supplies. It’s a tough time for all of us with all these challenges facing us,” Kapoor added.

Kapoor had overseen the building of an entire football stadium, replete with 26 bathrooms and 8 dressing rooms, for ‘Maidaan’. The film was scheduled to release in the cinemas this October.

“Everyone is suffering in one way or the other. Emotionally, I feel low thinking about building it again for the third time,” he added.

Earlier today, the makers of 'Maidaan' had shot down reports that they were in talks with OTT platforms for a possible pay-per-view release in India where cinemas are shut. 

In an earlier interview with Gulf News, Kapoor had dubbed his sports drama ‘Maidaan’ as a big-ticket project and had spoken about how the budget of his film had spiked due to the pandemic-induced developments.

“‘Maidaan’ is a big-budget film and its budget has gone up because of the lock down. I had a 16 acre plot where I erected an entire stadium with a football field and seating arena. Everything had to be dismantled due to COVID-19 restrictions and put up again due to the pandemic … I was one of the few producers who paid their workers even while the shooting was halted,” claimed Kapoor.

'Maidaan', directed by Amit Sharma, chronicles the life of former Indian football coach Syed Abdul Rahim who brought glory to the Indian football team in the 1950s. 

Actor Ranbir Kapoor’s new home in Mumbai, which is still under construction, also faced the wrath of the Mumbai cyclone. Videos of uprooted trees that fell on the under-construction building are now doing the rounds.