The movie revolves around Kabir Khan, India’s most successful Hockey centre forward who screws up a crucial penalty against Pakistan in the Hockey World Cup and in turn Pakistan wins the World Cup. Khan is at that moment, shattered, and when Pakistan’s coach makes a friendly gesture towards him, the media are quick to snap and dwell on this image. When the media questions his honesty, Khan lashes out at the media who in turn brand him a “gaddar” in the media. A disgruntled and angry Khan is forced to leave his home with his mother but anger brimming in his eyes.
Cut to 7 years later, Kabir Khan has now come back from the “dead” with a clear goal and mission in mind. Khan has decided to come back as the coach of the Indian Women’s National Hockey team. A team that is more or less a joke, which exists to fill some time and formalities more than anything else.
The team is a bunch of girls from all corners of India, and all of them have their own agenda. These girls have forgotten what it’s like to play for the team, and more importantly what it’s like playing for their country-India. These girls have forgotten what it’s like to win, mainly because no one has before has believed they can win..until now. The ex Captain makes it his personal mission to train these girls to play as a team, to play for the country, and more importantly, to believe in ones self. Despite his tarnished past, he believed if these girls played as one, anything would be possible. What follows next is classic tale as the under-dogs rise from the ashes to take on the Hockey World Cup headed by a determined Coach Khan who whole-heartedly believes, sometimes…winning is everything.
The basic structure of Jaideep Sahni’s story can be compared to countless Hollywood films in the same genre from A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, COACH CARTER, THE GRIDIRON GANG, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, HARDBALL, THE REPLACEMENTS etc however despite the obvious structural similarity (a coach training a bunch of misfit girls in to winners) the movie is completely original and it would be unfair to compare CHAK DE INDIA with any of these films, simply because CHAK DE INDIA is a film that is completely soaked in “indianess”. The movie brings forth problems in views and ideals which are very relevant to the sports world in India today. Sahni has always had a knack for magnificent story’s right from JUNGLE, COMPANY, KHOSLA KA GHOSLA and BUNTY AUR BABLI, and CHAK DE INDIA is yet another feather in his cap. Right from the initial sequences which set the scene perfectly to the finale, the movie hits all the right notes. Sahni has understood not only the genre well, but all the politics and sorry state of affairs that go on in India in regards to our National sport. His avid honesty stands out tall and Sahni deserves distinction marks for knock-out job.
Sahni, the screenplay writer is just as fabulous. He directs the movie on a one-track basis without allowing any interruptions in the crux of the story at all what so ever. Right at the outset with the initial sequences with the India-Pak game, and the subsequent scenes that follow the scene is set for the movie, and Sahni’s gets the right flavour and tone for the movie. True to life, these scenes provide the perfect foundation for what’s to follow. The first half is absolutely stunning. From the point Kabir Khan meets his undisciplined, rude, inspirited and unfriendly team of 16 girls the movie turns in to an immaculate potpourri and collage of warmth, humour, heart, soul and patriotism. The pace does slacken in the second half, but only by a small margin. The rise of the under-dogs in the second too has been done in a remarkable fashion, with the viewers by now completely involved in the proceedings, and though the end is clear, it’s the journey which makes the difference.
The dialogues in the movie are some of the most natural I’ve heard in recent times. Sahni has passionately written these, and his passion and knowledge for the game of Hockey is clearly visible here.
Shimit Amin must be grinning ear to ear. After a outstanding debut in the Ram Gopal Varma produced AB TAK CHAPPAN, the director now takes his bow as a director for Yashraj with his second film, and undeniably, Amin has made a worthy follow-up to AB TAK CHAPPAN not only proving his diversity, but his versatility to handle two projects which are as similar as chalk and cheese, and in a completely different environment. And one cannot deny that Amin is better off with Yashraj for now, than Ramu’s factory.
Amin directs CHAK DE INDIA with a realistic and focussed style of story-telling. Undeniably, Amin knows the sports genre well, and he cleverly manages to infuse it with the “classic underdog tale” with some immensely feel-good moments, and a burst of patriotism. But the factor that work’s the best is its casting. The 16 girls are simply spectacular, and Shahrukh Khan as the coach delivers what is undeniably the finest performance in his career since the new Millennium.
The 16 inexperienced-at-acting girls pull of a defiant ensemble with their raw, crackling energy and chemistry. Yes, some of them do portray the stereotype image of the character they’re portraying for the worse (the loud, brash, angry Punjabi named Balbir), but the girls bring such a lot of honesty and warmth to the characters they end up winning the audience over. The rustic tone of humour some of the girls exude evokes immense laughs from the cinema-full auditorium I saw it in. Tanya Abrol(Balbir Kaur) and Chitrashi Rawat(Komal Chautala) are natural to the core, Vidya Malvade is effective, Segarika Ghatge as the ego-infested Preeti is good, and Shubhi Mehta plays Gunjan’s grungy arrogance superbly, and shares some superbly executed scenes with Khan. One of my favorite moments in the movie has to be the dinner sequence before the Final game, when all the girls dressed up, and each and every one of them look absolutely stunning, because they look so Indian! Authentic to the core!
This is with-a-doubt going to be a “moment” in Shahrukh Khan’s career which he clearly won’t forget acting-wise as the character really allows the “actor” in Shahrukh Khan to really play to his strengths leaving aside all off his usual “stereotyping” of “Raj/Rahul” and comes up with a understated winner which hits all the right notes and makes perfect use of his “King Khan” image as well. His expressions, powerful delivery, intense eyes and cinematic charm works magnificently here and he pulls of one of his most confident performances of his entire career. And yes, this one performance Shahrukh can say he can be proud of for getting nominated for, though the competitions clearly hotting up now with each consecutive week. The role of a “coach” is a something that has never properly been explored in Indian cinema, and Shahrukh Khan takes the opportunity with relish, and gets right in to the skin of the character. His first scenes and last scenes remained etched in the viewer’s minds. His “Sattar Minute” speech was magnificent and pulled off the movie here(SRK tried a similar tactic in PBDHH which again had a patriotic flavour) but this time it works as the films masterstroke, and like the girls, Shahrukh pulls of playing a Pathan with extreme passion and dignity. Kabir Khan is a winner!
Salim-Sulaiman’s music is just perfect for the situations, and Amin weaves the songs in to the narrative with relative ease. EK HOCKEY DOONGI RAKHE is the ideal situation song, while MAULA MERE plays just at the right time. My favourite is no doubt the title track, which has been timed perfectly in the films narrative to arouse the patriotic flavour.
Technically the movie is of true International quality, and the treatment has been akin to a Hollywood film yet retaining our Indian soul. Sudeep Chatterjee’s camerawork gives the movie an earthy look at the start, yet getting completely glamorous in the second half when the movie shifts to Australia. Be it the initial training sequences, or to the final’s in the second half the movie has no doubt been captured with eloquent passion.
Rob Miller’s action sequences and hockey sequences are stunning, and have been performed to perfection. Sukhant Panigrahy’s art direction and Amitabh Shukla’s editing is spot-on.
All up CHAK DE INDIA is a winner, the film easily ranks as one of the finest surprises of 2007 as far as quality goes. A movie with heart and soul which leaves the viewer with a smile on their face, and Shahrukh can most definetly feel proud of a performance he can call a “one-man acting piece”.
Final Rating: * * * * ¼
