Chak De ! India - 8/10:
What a movie ???
After a long gap here is a Movie that moves u.

Whatz itz all about ?
An Indian hockey team captain due to irony of fate gets stamped as traitor. How he handles this blame..by returning as coach to Indian women’s hockey team and gets back his lost glory and gives the perfect answer to the critics is the story.

Highlights:
– Posters !!!!!!!!!
1) Lettering is interesting…

CHAK is written in Saffron
DE ! is written in White
INDIA is written in Green

2) Sharukh sits in middle with the players surrounding him in the ground. Here interesingly…they cud bring the colors of the nation.The goal keeper cum Captain is in Saffron color dress. Sharukh in White and the ground is in Green !!!

– The basic concept of the film is itself big highlight. None cud have imagined that this film would be so good. Because taking hockey as the concept and that too women’s hockey as key point is really a dare attempt. But the writer has taken it to his advantage. If the film was purely on the lines of women hockey upliftment etc none wud have given it a look but by bringing in the problem of Sharukh being named as a traitor and his answer to the nation with Women’s hockey world championship is really a brilliant idea. It has been executed too with utmost perfection.
– Dialogues. Ya they really steal the show. At the moment when u r with the FOR opinion on the film a slight thing also looks great and this film has really good dialogues all through the film. Kudos to Jaideep Sahni who has contributed in “STORY, SCREENPLAY,DIALOGUES,LYRICS’ departments. Itz actually his film altogether. He is surely gonna win many awards!!!

To mention:
1) SRK with the most egoistic player in the team: “har team mE Ek goonDa hota hai..is team mE mEhi goonDaa hu”
2) Association Chairman to SRK:”7 saal kahaa tE aap..kyaa kar rahE tE”
SRK: “is interview kEliyE prepare ho raha taa”
3) When the egoistic girl tries to seduce SRK to win back captain slot in the team..
girl:”main captain kyoh nahi ban sakti ???”
(she seduces him)
SRK:”tum nE kudh javaab dE dee”
4) When SRK starts training them…”tum pehley dEsh kEliyE kEhlna hOgaa…aur apnE saathiyonkEliyE..
aur tab bhee kuch jaan bachchee tO tab apnEliyE kElO”
5) The introduction session is awesome..who ever introduces them with name and state’s name..SRK tells them
to stand aside when one girl says name and India..he says ‘phir sE bOlO’…’jOr sE bOlO’
6) Associtaon member to Chairman:”mujhe samaj mE nahi aa raha hai ki aap Indian Women’s hockey kO itna serious kyu
nahi lEtEy ???’
Chairman to member:”hamE samaj mE nahi aa raha ki aap Indian women’s hockey kO itna serious kyu lE rahE hai ???”

– Sharukh Sharukh Sharukh…what a performance ??? It is one of his best one’s. The way he handles pain, the determination to come back, the joy he faces at some instances, the way he handles the team, brings in coordination, the tactics that he uses, all to all u’ll never think of any alternative in the role of Kabir Khan. Hats off SRK….!!!
– Casting: Perfectly perfect. Superb casting. The stout Chandigarh girl, the short komal, an egoistic girl…everyone really fitted into their characters very well.
– There are some really brilliant ideas in the film which have moved this film to the next level.

1) When the authorizing body decides in not sending the women’s team for world cup, the challenge that SRK puts in is really mindblowing. Asking for a match between men’s team and women’s team really shows the confidence and difference in thinking that character has. If it was shown as the women’s team wins the game it wud have been too dramatic, but the writer steals the scene, by making them lose it in narrow but at the same time when they feel that everything is lost, it is shown superbly that the men’s team praise their playing standards. Winning the compliments of opponents is greater than victory. This way of winning the confidence of association is truly appreciable idea.

2) When SRK realizes the differences that Komal and Preety have he explains them the situation but even after that they dont get convinced. In the main final when Australian coach tells his goalie to comeforward and attack Komal as she wud not give pass. Itz superbly shown on how komal gives pass to Preety setting all the differences right at the right moment. Therez a great response from the audience for this scene. This gives a big blow for the Australian team’s strategies.

3) The way SRK guides his captain cum goalie in the final most penalty shoot out which decides the fate of the worldcup is terrific. The thing that made him lose everything comes to him again and now he wins it splendidly with superb confidence.

4) The fight of whole team with eve-teasers is very good. Sharukh handling a rogue who tries to hit from back and says ‘baat E hai ki hamara team mE chakkE nahi hOtE’ etc receive good response.

5) On seeing the trouble makers in the team inorder to change them he says them to get out of the ground. On sitting there and observing the play one by one they come to SRK and say sorry and return to playing. Thatz a silent, tough yet terrific way of controlling players.

6) The way SRK deals with the team right from his entry is exellently taken care of. When the girl Preety comes late and says bloody hell..SRK says bloody hell Preety and all his actions as a tough yet superb coach are shown well.

7) A foreigner hoisting Indian flag and SRK getting elated.
– Cinematography is excellent. Though it is too good in posters than in film.

Lowlights:

– Inspite of too many highlights if u search in very much depth, u might find that this film cud have been shot still better. Only 70% range of possible visuals have been reached becoz despite laying a wonderful stage for an awesome film in the first 30 minutes itself therez still scope for brilliance in this film.. Because sports concepts always have numerous nail biting conflicts on the field and off the field. If they had tried still further atleast 3 to 4 still better brilliant ideas cud have been incorporated. But putting these expectations aside itz already a beautiful film !!!

– There was scope for still better dialogues in some scenes like the one with the meeting of SRK with Association. Starting dialogues r good with SRK saying that he spent 7 years preparing for this meeting but the preparation of 7 years is not reflected in the scene !!!

– Though CHAK DE title song and other background score are good they r not upto the mark of the range of the film. A better catchy title song wud have been nice. AR Rahman wud have done wonders to this film in music dept.

– The team’s feelings for SRK are not shown after they win world cup. Though it is shown that the where abouts of SRK are not found after the victory, it wud have been nice if the girls had dedicated their success’s full credit to SRK though it is exemplary.

Final touch:

The writer/director steals u r heart in the very first 10 minutes itself and get u into the mood of the film spectacularly. The introduction of SRK and his involvement in the game gain u r interest. The rest all, is u wait for the occasions to clap and they regularly serve the purpose and u keep on loving the film. The writer has given good depth to the story as he had touched many things like diversity in India, differences in people’s mindset, Cricket vs Hockey, legends like Dhyan Chand, women upliftment, associations biased view on women’s teams..about Indian fans who create demigods and treat them as devils in sudden change of events…etc outstanding stuff !!!. Women’s hockey association shud be grateful to this makers as really this film did much good for it. One can see many fathers coming with their daughters to theatres for this film. In many theatres this film got standing ovation after its completion. Just like watching a tense cricket match..therez audience response through out the film whistling, clapping in favor of the nation.

This film has touched one finer aspect thatz not usually shown in sports movies..itz irony of one’s fate. In the starting scene itself when India loses world cup owing to ill-luck of SRK, SRK comes out of it with sporting spirit and pads the opponents but the media creates another story on it and names him as traitor. Such things based on luck really make players lose their heart. At times Sourav Ganguly can be seen in SRK’s place. When things go wrong they take u too with them…but only HEROEs return in style.

The film really gave CHECK to audience as anyone has to obey it as a super hit at the same time giving CHECK to the makers with loads of money….!!! This film is simple yet ’simpl(e)y superb’.

‘Re-view’ing is the case with many. Itz a must to have DVD in one’s library !!!