Chak De India : Review
Since the movie released yesterday, there are no real reviews out there yet. I shall go out on a limb and write my own.
The debate for us was to watch one of the following: Bourne Ultimatum or Gandhi or Chak De. Finally we decided to watch Chak De, and it turned out to be a really good decision.
The movie starts in a hocky field and Sharukh Khan is the captain of the Indian mens hockey team. He misses a penalty in the last minute of a final match against Pakistan. The team loses and he is brandised as a traitor. Social rejection follows and he loses his respect, his game and his family home.
Cut to 7 years later, where a committee is deliberating on who should be the coach for a womens national tea. The attitude of the Hockey committee officials reflects outdated mind sets. Anjan srivastav is really funny and irritating as the resigned, currupt and disinterested official committee head behind Indian hockey. Describing the INDIAN National team as a team of "chakla-belan" weilding women, who can not even beat the high school teams of Europe nations, the stage is set for Khans re-entry - this time as the coach to the womens team.
What follows is a funny, rigorous, tough journey for Khan and his motley band of girls all the way to the world championships in Australia.
Khans performance is controlled and not over-the-top as his past several roles have been. The girls have given amazing performances. Especially the brooding Bindiya, the crude "harayana-wali" Komal chautala, and the aggressive sikh girl. The chandigarh girl, preeti looks really pretty and stands out from a group of unsensational and deglamorised casting which is quite apt for the womens hockey team.
The movie is a bitter sweet saga of public opinions, ostracism, feudal mind-sets, group politics, team building, self belief and putting the team priorities in order. As Khan says , country first, team second and if anything is left then that is for yourself...
Full of interesting one liners which drew lots of populist clapping from the crowd in the Dubai hall, it was equally funny with the diverse set of girls and how to learn to live together and operate as a team. There is not a dull moment in this movie.
The sporting scenes and climax are quite realistic and are not made in a traditional filmi style. You know the Indian team is going to win, but it is presented in a realistic manner. The issue of changing attitudes towards equality of sexes is also a running undertone and the message that times indeed have changed has been conveyed in subtle and mature ways.
Kudos to director Shimit Amin, the Yash raj banner and the movies cast, who have brought out a quality entertainment product, and one that we hope, may revive a sport that we were once world beaters at.
The debate for us was to watch one of the following: Bourne Ultimatum or Gandhi or Chak De. Finally we decided to watch Chak De, and it turned out to be a really good decision.
The movie starts in a hocky field and Sharukh Khan is the captain of the Indian mens hockey team. He misses a penalty in the last minute of a final match against Pakistan. The team loses and he is brandised as a traitor. Social rejection follows and he loses his respect, his game and his family home.
Cut to 7 years later, where a committee is deliberating on who should be the coach for a womens national tea. The attitude of the Hockey committee officials reflects outdated mind sets. Anjan srivastav is really funny and irritating as the resigned, currupt and disinterested official committee head behind Indian hockey. Describing the INDIAN National team as a team of "chakla-belan" weilding women, who can not even beat the high school teams of Europe nations, the stage is set for Khans re-entry - this time as the coach to the womens team.
What follows is a funny, rigorous, tough journey for Khan and his motley band of girls all the way to the world championships in Australia.
Khans performance is controlled and not over-the-top as his past several roles have been. The girls have given amazing performances. Especially the brooding Bindiya, the crude "harayana-wali" Komal chautala, and the aggressive sikh girl. The chandigarh girl, preeti looks really pretty and stands out from a group of unsensational and deglamorised casting which is quite apt for the womens hockey team.
The movie is a bitter sweet saga of public opinions, ostracism, feudal mind-sets, group politics, team building, self belief and putting the team priorities in order. As Khan says , country first, team second and if anything is left then that is for yourself...
Full of interesting one liners which drew lots of populist clapping from the crowd in the Dubai hall, it was equally funny with the diverse set of girls and how to learn to live together and operate as a team. There is not a dull moment in this movie.
The sporting scenes and climax are quite realistic and are not made in a traditional filmi style. You know the Indian team is going to win, but it is presented in a realistic manner. The issue of changing attitudes towards equality of sexes is also a running undertone and the message that times indeed have changed has been conveyed in subtle and mature ways.
Kudos to director Shimit Amin, the Yash raj banner and the movies cast, who have brought out a quality entertainment product, and one that we hope, may revive a sport that we were once world beaters at.
posted by Amit Pathak | 2:57 PM
2 Comments:
dude...you have disappeared again
It's been two months brother! Just thought I would remind you :)
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