Happy Independence Day, every Indian !!!

‘Chak De … India’ or Go India Go !!! I don’t see a better timing for this movie. Independence day eve, India shining, India recently winning Test Series in England after 20 yrs gap and no movie getting released that bounds Indians in national feeling recently.

Bollywood is evolving and we are promised good real life based movies in main commercial cinema or atleast the movies which are based on true rumors (remember: Shootout….). Its pleasure to see that its substance rather than sex and skill rather than sizzle that works out in Chak de ! The sports movies are loved, be it Jo jeeta wohi sikander or Lagaan or Rocky …. if they don’t get diverted from the main story line and if not they start an entirely new thread of love triangle or vamps or some thrill … Chak de’s director Amin should be given full credit to give us a movie to be long remembered.They rush adrenaline to your blood, make your hair stand and words start blurting out, ‘Go India Go’ subconsciously.

About the story line … its simple.  Its based on real life incident of Mir Ranjan Negi but i am certainly not an authority to comment on this connection, anyhow its a pleasure to know that such untiring souls exist too. Kabir Khan, Indian Men’s Hockey Team Captain was charged of match fixing after loosing out in the last moment penalty stroke. Media (Aaj Tak logos and TV hostess were shown explicitly !!!) moved his reputation to ashes and he has to move out of his ancestral place ashamedly. There was only one dream in his eyes and that dream never eluded and i.e. World Cup.

He came back after seven years to coach Indian Women Hockey team which was just a bunch of sixteen girls hailing from all over India, speaking different languages, coming from as diverse family background and was as different as the five fingers in our palm. The task was not easy but Kabir made these girls learn the power of fingers when united together. This is film about the true national and team spirit. Has it been any other movie, the coach would have been crying in front of girls to avenge his infamy or there would have been long speeches. But i couldn’t find any.

SRK … king Khan !!! Hmm … honestly, i have never been a fan of him. And even movies like Kabhi Alvida na Kehna made me to hate him like anything. But, in this movie, its not the star Shahrukh, its the actor Shahrukh and I love that. There was a grace in him rather than dose of overact which has been his trademark. He stands calm, unaffected and guided by only thing i.e. his dream. Kabir could have been taller than life soul and then Shahrukh would have messed up everything but kudos to director for not glorifying Kabir and for making Shahrukh deliver perhaps one of the best performances.

But in the movie, its not SRK who was the star, it was the 16 girls who lived the movie and they were simply above all good adjectives …  everyone reflected originality, their uniqueness and did full justice with their performances. They make u giggle, they showcases the girly jealously and looked beautiful too wrapped up in sarees [;)] Few impressed more than others, including pint sized Haryanavi girl Komal, always angered Punjabi Balbir Kaul, haughty Bindiya Nai, sober and calm Captain Vidya and sexy Preeti Sabarwal.

And the movie inadvertently covered present Indian society’s practices and that too many a number. The gender bias, the state and language wise division of nation, the sad state of Indian national sport, a sportsman’s emotions in a country like India where Media is checking you just to create sensation and very sadly but truly the state of our minorities which have to prove every now and then of their being Indian.

Its not a stereotyped movie and whenever you feel like that what’s going to happen next, you get wrong. Shahrukh is not in the field but in the benches guiding the girls. After loosing by big margin to Australia, girls didn’t manage any big victory but all small margin wins and in finals, when we could have expected a good long motivational words from coach, he just told them to play their best for 70 mins and rest will be history and that was very true…

Celebrate Independence Day and say ‘Chak de… India’ !!!