Movie is excellent, story is brilliant, performances are up to the mark and cinematogrpahy says it all. I should be all pleased after the movie and believe me, i am except for one thing. This post is not going to be the review of the movie but of just couple of question and then a desperate attempt to identify those answers.

Q1. Why’s that India is still shown in plight ? India had been the land of snake-charmers and this is how it had fascinated westerners, right from Alexander age where his army was fearing the big animals over which Indian soldiers fight to English for whom Indians are not capable enough to rule India and they need English dictum. Perhaps, i am exaggerating and deviating from the topic but why couldn’t this movie depict India as less dirty and less third world country? Couple of instances like crippling children by a begging mafia racket are showing India in poor light even if facts are not overstated.

A: It’s human nature. The more agony, sorrow, pain you show; the more is the audience appeal. It’s a fact, movies are drama, the more melo-drama you can create out of it, the bigger hit it would be. Show misery, sex, prostitutes, corruption, protaganists, touch the audience’s heart and win all the critic’s acclaim and this is very OK & Tested formula. Right from Premchand to Madhur Bhandarkar, all have tried to show the deepest level of wretchedness and public love them.

Why is this Q at first place? This is big question, perhaps because it’s being directed by a Britisher and is being watched throughout the world. Global junta doesn’t watch every other Indian movie but this is the one which is perhaps going to have highest volume of viewers, critically acclaimed Best movie in/about India recently. Why does English always portray the dark side of India? Why can’t they see the economic growth, huge huge Indian middle class, it’s diversity and unity hand-in-hand? I am becoming a little mean and what else disturbs my conscience is that a Britisher has made better movie than many Indian and it’s getting acclaimation world-wide. India’s superactor Amitabh Bachhan has given a forgettable performance in ‘The Last Lear’, perhaps which could be Slumdog competitor.

Q2: More or less extension of Q1. Why can’t English make sci-fi, action, romantic movies over India? They find solace in Salaam Bombay, Slumdog etc…why?  Why don’t they make such movies there? In no Hollywood movie, I have seen any racism, a black Police inspector is as authoritative as its white counterpart, while racism is still there. Why doesn’t Hollywood portray this at their home?

A2: Warner Bros is not charitable institute but a pure commercial movie company. They would  show what public wants. Americans don’t wish to see and show racism on TV or to the world even though it’s rooted in their heart. At the same time, they are scared of India and China and while  watching such movies, they give themselves pat on the back. How can slumdogs Indians compete with the supergenes Americans. Lord, forgive them ! They are plundering another country horror for their entertainment. An excellent visual deragotory depiction of unfortunate India.

Undoubtely movie is vivid, moving and breathlessly exciting. Kudos to director for giving a good entertainer!

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’ !!!