Reese Witherspoon had a special celebration at this year’s Emmys with The Morning Show co-star Jennifer Aniston, director Laura Dern and executive producer Mimi Leder. On Monday, September. 16, the Big Little Lies actress who was also nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series alongside Aniston, shared a carousel of snaps from Awards night. “Girls night at Emmys,” she wrote in the caption.  

The first picture showed the Friends actress, Leder and Witherspoon cozying up at the dinner table which was followed by the latter’s washroom selfie with long-time bestie, Big Little Lies costar, Dern. The director again appeared in a snap, laughing while holding a lipstick with Aniston posing next to her. 

The post featured several glimpses of besties Dern and Witherspoon, including a car selfie as they were heading to the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles for the big night, a video of them walking down a hallway, and one on the red carpet. 

Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan, a biographical drama about footballer Syed Abdul Rahim and directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, received positive critical acclaim but saw a modest box office turnout. Now, Amit Sharma has expressed his confusion over the film’s lackluster performance, stating, “I couldn’t find the reason for why the big numbers did not happen.” He added, “After it released on OTT, I was flooded with messages and mails.” 

In a recent interview with DNA, director Amit Sharma discussed the Ajay Devgn starrer’s reception, noting that although many did not see it in theaters, those who did praised it highly. “When the film was released, a lot of people did not watch it. But whoever watched it only praised it. They all appreciated it. I was making rounds of the theaters and I saw the reaction of the public watching it. It was amazing,” he said.

The director also revealed receiving a surge of messages after its OTT release. He added that many expressed regret for not seeing it on the big screen, but points out, it’s ultimately up to individuals to choose to watch films in theaters.

The film, with a budget exceeding Rs 200 crore, underperformed at the box office, earning only Rs 68 crore despite positive reviews. Amit Sharma admits he has been puzzled by the low numbers, questioning why the film didn’t generate more revenue despite the positive public response and appreciation. He candidly notes that he has been unable to pinpoint the reason behind the film’s financial shortfall.

Despite the film’s box office performance, Amit Sharma expresses satisfaction with the final product. He notes that he is content with how the film turned out and values the praise it received from European audiences, who compared it favorably to Hollywood productions. He said, “People from European countries praising it and comparing it to Hollywood films was a big validation. They all said they had never seen football shown like this in any film, even in the West.” 

Maidaan stars Ajay Devgn as Syed Abdul Rahim, a pivotal figure in Indian football, and includes Priyamani, Gajraj Rao, and Rudranil Ghosh in significant roles. Directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, known for Badhaai Ho, the film is produced by Zee Studios, Boney Kapoor, Arunava Joy Sengupta, and Akash Chawla.

Presented by Zee Studios & Bayview Projects in association with Fresh Lime Films, Maidaan hit the theatres on April 10, 2024, aligning with Eid celebrations. The film is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.