Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sunday, September 02, 2007
CHAK DE INDIA..!
Chak De India (English: "Come On India" )
Saluting girl power!
This is the tale of a group of 16 hockey players divided by region... ,divided by seniority and economic status - ranging from the tomboy Haryanvi Komal, the feisty Balbir from Punjab, the tough-egoistic senior Bindiya Naik, the just-married Vidya Sharma to the lovely, rich miss Preeti Sabharwal involved with a cricket star. And their coach Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) who had been dismissed from his post as the captain of the Indian team for conceding the vital goals in a crucial final against Pakistan.
Kabir’s aim is to redeem his lost glory through this women’s team! He trains them in the sport as well as spirit and teaches them the lesson of team-effort and unity. He binds them together in the tricolours of national pride. When the Hockey Association refuses to send the team to Australia for the finals, Kabir throws in a challenge match - pitching his girls against the men’s team. Although the girls lose the match, they win the confidence of the officials and off they go for the finals to Australia.
The phenomenal rise of the Indian women’s team as the World Champs is what the story is about. But it is writer Jaideep Sahni’s subtle screenplay extolling woman power in scenes like the girls uniting to take on eve-teasers in a local cafe,the final party scene where the team parades in in ceremonial sarees...the film strings in touching moments - incidents that will probably change some biases within all of us against girls, against a married sportswoman, a pretty girl, a rustic, unrefined girl and so on. Each time the coach rises above all the divides and cements every crack.
The entire hockey team delivers a scintillating performance on and off the field. Shah Rukh Khan is at his restrained best - who can accuse of him hamming after this very subtly- nuanced performance? Touching and thoughtful, this is what modern cinema should be. A special mention for editor Amitabh Shukla’s crisp cut. Bravo Shimit Amin and cheers to Aditya Chopra for backing such a courageously offbeat venture.
Waiting for Farah Khan's next Thriller - "Om Shanthi Om"
Saluting girl power!
This is the tale of a group of 16 hockey players divided by region... ,divided by seniority and economic status - ranging from the tomboy Haryanvi Komal, the feisty Balbir from Punjab, the tough-egoistic senior Bindiya Naik, the just-married Vidya Sharma to the lovely, rich miss Preeti Sabharwal involved with a cricket star. And their coach Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) who had been dismissed from his post as the captain of the Indian team for conceding the vital goals in a crucial final against Pakistan.
Kabir’s aim is to redeem his lost glory through this women’s team! He trains them in the sport as well as spirit and teaches them the lesson of team-effort and unity. He binds them together in the tricolours of national pride. When the Hockey Association refuses to send the team to Australia for the finals, Kabir throws in a challenge match - pitching his girls against the men’s team. Although the girls lose the match, they win the confidence of the officials and off they go for the finals to Australia.
The phenomenal rise of the Indian women’s team as the World Champs is what the story is about. But it is writer Jaideep Sahni’s subtle screenplay extolling woman power in scenes like the girls uniting to take on eve-teasers in a local cafe,the final party scene where the team parades in in ceremonial sarees...the film strings in touching moments - incidents that will probably change some biases within all of us against girls, against a married sportswoman, a pretty girl, a rustic, unrefined girl and so on. Each time the coach rises above all the divides and cements every crack.
The entire hockey team delivers a scintillating performance on and off the field. Shah Rukh Khan is at his restrained best - who can accuse of him hamming after this very subtly- nuanced performance? Touching and thoughtful, this is what modern cinema should be. A special mention for editor Amitabh Shukla’s crisp cut. Bravo Shimit Amin and cheers to Aditya Chopra for backing such a courageously offbeat venture.
Waiting for Farah Khan's next Thriller - "Om Shanthi Om"
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