The long-awaited sports drama Maidaan, starring Ajay Devgn, eventually turned into one of the costliest movies for producer Boney Kapoor. In a recent conversation on Komal Nahta’s YouTube channel Game Changers, Kapoor revealed how the film, which began production in 2019, faced multiple setbacks over nearly five years, leading to a huge rise in costs and ultimately, a significant box office flop.
Originally budgeted at Rs 120 crore, the film’s expenses rose to around Rs 210 crore due to unforeseen delays, natural disasters, and the pandemic. Despite the massive investment, Maidaan managed to earn only Rs 68 crore when it released in 2024. Boney Kapoor then had to borrow funds to pay his vendors and crew.
What caused the delay and budget surge?
Speaking about the prolonged journey of the film, Kapoor shared, “I lost money in Maidaan. The film was stranded for over four years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine about 70% of the film was complete by January 2020, right before the pandemic. We were supposed to shoot the matches from the last week of March. All the international teams had come. There was a crew of about 200 to 250 people from overseas — they were the players from different countries.”
However, the nationwide lockdown in March 2020 brought production to a standstill. Kapoor revealed that he had to keep the entire unit in India until the last available international flights departed. “This happened with me about four times,” he said, highlighting the uncertainty and chaos during those months.
As if the pandemic wasn’t enough, a cyclone wreaked havoc on the film’s sets, destroying an entire stadium structure. “My entire stadium set was wiped out. Who do I explain all this to? The budget that we decided for the film was Rs 120 crore, but we eventually ended up spending about Rs 210 crore,” he explained.
Kapoor also explained how COVID-19 safety protocols significantly added to the film’s financial burden. “At any given time when we were shooting the matches, we would have a unit of about 800 people and because of COVID, there were restrictions. During that time, I ordered food from Taj for the entire unit. I had to keep four ambulances and doctors at all times,” he said.
To comply with strict distancing rules, Kapoor had to limit the number of people on set, arrange five additional tents, and ensure individual catering for crew members. Even the cost of bottled water became a major expense. “We had done a deal with a particular brand. They supplied water and that bill was humongous. We had to give distilled water to all so that they feel safe. All these SOPs cost me a lot of money. And I had to do all this for almost three and a half years,” he revealed.
For football sequences, the production team even flew to Bangkok to capture crowd shots. “We had to show at least 2,000 people in the stadium to represent 40,000 at the editing table,” Kapoor added.
Maidaan’s Box office performance
Despite the huge effort and budget, Maidaan failed to impress audiences, collecting only Rs 68 crore at the box office. The commercial failure forced Kapoor to borrow money to repay his vendors. “After Maidaan flopped at the box office, I had to borrow money to pay my vendors. The film failed but it was not their fault. They, in fact, patiently waited for four long years with some even reducing their fees by 10–15%,” he said. Kapoor admitted that while the losses were severe, he did not blame anyone personally.
Past financial struggles of Boney Kapoor
This is not the first time Kapoor has faced financial turmoil. Recalling an earlier phase in his career, he revealed, “Back in the ’90s, I was burdened with a huge debt of about Rs 215 crore, borrowed by my father, Surinder Kapoor. I had to dilute one of my assets. And some of my films worked at the box office, like No Entry. Because of the success of No Entry, films that followed… they earned me more money.”
Kapoor added that lenders continue to trust him because he has always remained transparent and maintained regular communication.
Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, known for hits like Badhaai Ho and Tevar, Maidaan was based on the life of legendary football coach Syed Abdul Rahim. Despite its box office underperformance, the film remains one of Kapoor’s most ambitious projects.