Yes yes I am talking about the movie. For those of you who watch English movies, this is “Coach Carter” meet “Remember the Titans”! Shakrukh Khan, the Goonda of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team shows the word and the Spartans what only 16, sports Jersey clad woman can do.
I felt this is the movie, which after a long time showcased Shahrukh the actor and not only Shahrukh the STAR. The movie touched me with its sincerity. There was no unnecessary dramatics, no song sequence, no off the side romance story. Every shot, every action was vital to the movie. The players, played by fresh faces who definitely look more like hockey players then stars gave the movie its realistic feel. And I repeat the lack of dramatics was a refreshing break.
And the dialogues were cracking. Sharp, witty very pro-Indian and delivered with style and panache by ----------- everyone! Yeah we are not quoting Shakrukh here only. Even the girl from Jharkhand who spits out HO! to every question does it in her own style.
But underneath it all, the movie dealt with a number of issues very subtly but smartly if I might add. The movie tore through all the stereotypical biases - Gender, Caste, and Status. Showed the murky side of selection boards, the hard work of un-sponsored talents, the see-swing media, which can make or break careers and last but not the least it showed that sheer determination and hard work is all you need to win.
As I walked out of the theatre, people were screaming Chak De India! Including me, but in my mind. Like Lage Raho Munnabhai last year, I feel this movie is going set off trends too.
1 comment:
Wow! That is a superlative critique...and I am sure very soon Yash Raj Films promo team will find this blog and quote you left, right and centre. On a serious note it is indeed refreshing to see films talk of other things apart from song and dance. Today at work too people were discussing the grand success of Chak De India! A colleague mentioned that Shahrukh had recently defended the mindless bolly-wood flicks saying that the Hollywood hegemony needed to be broken and Bolly-wood dancing,singing escapists flicks were the idyllic way to go. Sadly stalwarts such as Adoora Gopal Krishnan's comment on the Bolly-wood dancing singing and et all love angle was definitely not read by Mr. Khan here. Adoora Gopal Krishnan goes on to mention that instead of learning gripping presentation from the west and also the value of cinema as art form is not appreciated in India. True that cinema as a medium needs audience but along with that for it to become a justified form of art it definitely needs to inspire and make people think...which sadly Bolly-da-wood flicks rarely do. Films such as Chak De India, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Iqbal, Dor, Rang De Basanti keep our hopes alive. These films even though are in the mainstream but they have achieved what art should do...INSPIRE. One day we will really start making films which transcend border,language,creed...they become universal song for the mankind.
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