Ajay Devgn starrer ‘Maidaan’: 3 key money lessons investors can learn from coach SA Rahim

If you ever land in Kolkata during the World Cup, you will see neighbourhoods festooned with blue and white. Goa will be decked out in Portugal team colours. Kerala too is crazy about the game. I know football fans who have body clocks tuned to the English Premier League (matches start at 10.30 pm IST), fans who were devastated when Ballack vanished from the team, and cried when Imbrahimovic and Frabregas hung up their boots. So Maidaan, a football film about India was a welcome addition to all the Hockey and cricket films we have seen.

SA Rahim is the India coach sitting at a Football Federation of India office. Surrounded by bureaucrats he has to answer for the historic loss at the Summer Olympic games against a big Yugoslav team that literally and figuratively routed the barefoot Indians who were ill prepared for a cold rainy 90 minute game (they were used to 70 minute league games at home) against a team that were far better than them. 

Football buffs please excuse the liberties taken with the story (it was a match between American Samoa and Australia that is still counted as the worst defeat ever), but suffice it to say that Anjan Da who is the president allows the coach to lay out his strategy. 

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The coach ‘Rahim Saab’ is given the freedom to go scout for the best players from around India (rather than favour Bengal clubs simply because they love football so much), and train them. Ajay Devgn as SA Rahim brings the right presence of a disciplinarian coach who puts football before his family (consists of a mother, a wife -played by the beautiful Priyamani, a son Hakim who later qualifies for the team and a daughter). 

Coach Rahim battles the bureaucrats off the field and puts the ‘star’ players in places and creates history by taking the team into what is today considered the Golden Age of Indian Football. The record wins the team brought us has never been broken!

The single money lesson that this film teaches us is a valuable one. Simply put, be like coach Rahim when it comes to your money life.

The coach takes 100% responsibility

‘If I am to be made responsible for the team, then give me time to choose the players and train them in my methods,’ coach Rahim tells the board. We see the coach has a knack of spotting talent whether it is kids playing in the alley or star strikers at a club game. 

As Rahim Saab of your own portfolio, you too should have a keen eye for spotting stocks and investment instruments that will work together as a team. Some defenders, and others great forwards. But don’t forget what coach Rahim says to the players: You may be playing in different positions, but you play as one team. Every asset in your portfolio performs differently, and is ranked differently, but together they make your portfolio strong.

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The coach takes tough decisions

When it comes to the Asian Games, and politics rears its ugly head, coach Rahim had to make a difficult decision: he had to drop a few players from the team. Even though 23 qualified, he was not able to fly everyone to Jakarta. He pushes the 11 who fly to the Asian Games in Jakarta to perform their best. In fact, the team won gold for India, beating champions South Korea 2-1. 

As a smart investor, you cannot cling to stocks that have been your favourite. Your strategy to win must include an ability to let go and re-imagine your assets.

The coach responds to situations

SA Rahim realises during the game that the Koreans like to play high passes and cover more ground that way. He quickly asks his defenders to move their positions ahead so that the Koreans are not able to get closer to their goal. In fact, this move gives the defenders more space to tackle the Koreans.

Your investment strategy has to be equally aware of market conditions and operate proactively. To be able to do that, you should take charge of understanding and studying the market at all times. Be better informed! 

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This film has been shot by someone who truly understands what it means to get up close and personal with the game. Maidaan is a tad long, has to battle the collective Kabir Khan hangover (yes, even those of us have never made it to a hockey game in person), and yet it offers a wonderful chance to learn about how good we once were. Even though there will be endless comparisons with ‘Chak De!’ will never end, you will find yourself identifying with the coach and enjoying Maidaan.        

Manisha Lakhe is a poet, film critic, traveller, founder of Caferati — an online writer’s forum, hosts Mumbai’s oldest open mic, and teaches advertising, films and communication. She can be reached on Twitter at @manishalakhe.