A movie unlike the usual colorful montages of dance and drama that have been churned out, “Chak De India!” takes us through the lives of a group of feisty girls all set to represent India in the “World Women’s Hockey Championship”. It showcases the plight that the “National Sport” faces from tea-glugging bureaucrats to the absence of a decent sponsor. To make things worse the team encompasses players from such diverse a background; hardly a minute passes without one stepping on the other with ethnic slurs and taunting words.
While things are looking grim thus, enter Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan). An ex-player besmeared a traitor for missing a crucial goal, fights his way through red-tape to partake as the coach of this team. Promoting the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie, Kabir Khan faces many a travails to get the team to play as one and to love the game as he does.
Grueling practice sessions, unorthodox punishments and a lot of full throated speeches later, the team progresses with an alarming pace. What follows is expected and everyone goes home Happy.
The cast of almost all debut performers have shown tremendous potential in perfecting the game and portraying roles from hip city slickers to naïve village belles. Commendable are the efforts of the scriptwriters to touch on a myriad of issues from the plight of Indian women choosing alternative careers to the alienation felt by many a population of far flung states. The music score was just right as was the simple costume design.
Having said this it is evident that the real star of the movie is the “Indomitable Spirit of the Game” well showcased with just the right amount of drama and a little bit of light hearted tomfoolery.
While things are looking grim thus, enter Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan). An ex-player besmeared a traitor for missing a crucial goal, fights his way through red-tape to partake as the coach of this team. Promoting the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie, Kabir Khan faces many a travails to get the team to play as one and to love the game as he does.
Grueling practice sessions, unorthodox punishments and a lot of full throated speeches later, the team progresses with an alarming pace. What follows is expected and everyone goes home Happy.
The cast of almost all debut performers have shown tremendous potential in perfecting the game and portraying roles from hip city slickers to naïve village belles. Commendable are the efforts of the scriptwriters to touch on a myriad of issues from the plight of Indian women choosing alternative careers to the alienation felt by many a population of far flung states. The music score was just right as was the simple costume design.
Having said this it is evident that the real star of the movie is the “Indomitable Spirit of the Game” well showcased with just the right amount of drama and a little bit of light hearted tomfoolery.
