Review - Chak De! India
Chak De! India, 'inspired' from the real-life story of former Indian hockey goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi, is the celluloid tale of a disgraced player returning from oblivion to transform a bunch of no-hopers into a champion outfit.
Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) misses a penalty stroke in the dying moments of World Championships final against Pakistan, thus earning himself the tag of desh-drohi.
Years later, a neglected Indian women's hockey team gathered from the farthest corners of India suffers from it all. From ego to self-doubt to expectations, and above all, regionalism. Punjabi hot-head, pint-sized Haryanvi dynamo, housewives and non-Hindi speakers, there is no lack of colourful characters. Kabir is back, not just with the intention of coaching a rag-tag bunch of unruly players, but also desperate to bury the ghosts of his past.
The movie suffers from certain flaws. Battle of the Sexes is completely out of place and the hockey stick raising routine that follows can only be classified as melodrama. Also, some of the dialogues are purely jingoistic. For example, 'Aaj pehli baar ek gore ko Bharat ka jhanda lehrate hue dekh raha hoon'.
In the age of designer movies, the subdued glam quotient is a refreshing change. Chitrashi Rawat (Komal), Tanya Abrol (Balbir) and Shubhi Mehta (Gunjan) play their roles to the hilt. Shahrukh as a frustrated yet inspirational coach, lords above them all. Though, at times, he does slip into the eyelid-dropping-voice-quivering 'Kal Ho Na Ho' mode.
Overall, the movie is definitely worth watching. One wished Kabir Khan would turn his back on the accolades that he rightfully earns and asks the world to go 'fly a kite'. But then, they dont make movies like Pyaasa anymore.
Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) misses a penalty stroke in the dying moments of World Championships final against Pakistan, thus earning himself the tag of desh-drohi.
Years later, a neglected Indian women's hockey team gathered from the farthest corners of India suffers from it all. From ego to self-doubt to expectations, and above all, regionalism. Punjabi hot-head, pint-sized Haryanvi dynamo, housewives and non-Hindi speakers, there is no lack of colourful characters. Kabir is back, not just with the intention of coaching a rag-tag bunch of unruly players, but also desperate to bury the ghosts of his past.
The movie suffers from certain flaws. Battle of the Sexes is completely out of place and the hockey stick raising routine that follows can only be classified as melodrama. Also, some of the dialogues are purely jingoistic. For example, 'Aaj pehli baar ek gore ko Bharat ka jhanda lehrate hue dekh raha hoon'.
In the age of designer movies, the subdued glam quotient is a refreshing change. Chitrashi Rawat (Komal), Tanya Abrol (Balbir) and Shubhi Mehta (Gunjan) play their roles to the hilt. Shahrukh as a frustrated yet inspirational coach, lords above them all. Though, at times, he does slip into the eyelid-dropping-voice-quivering 'Kal Ho Na Ho' mode.
Overall, the movie is definitely worth watching. One wished Kabir Khan would turn his back on the accolades that he rightfully earns and asks the world to go 'fly a kite'. But then, they dont make movies like Pyaasa anymore.
posted by Dhananjay Shettigar at 8/11/2007 09:00:00 AM
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