Chak De! India: A rare masterpiece!
1:49 AM
JITIN
,
They say: “First impression is the last impression”…
But not always…
For if that had been the case, this post would not have been possible!
While watching Ocean’s 13 in gurgaon, I stumbled upon the trailer of Chak De! India and almost instantly made up my mind: I can live happily without bearing this stuff for sure!
Well first there was Hockey ( I am a sports lover, but never have been a die-hard ‘our national game’ fan), then it consisted of a terrible (yes that was the first word that hit my neurons) looking song: ‘Ek hockey doonge chak ke’, casting few not-so-beautiful girls ( now that does matter to some extent) and finally there was SRK again!!! Not that I hate him (Infact I think he is one of the best actors around), but he simply didn’t fit there.
So I made sure that this pathetic 2 minute-trailer immediately evaporated from my senses…
Then the last nail in the coffin: The movie was not receiving very healthy publicity owing to its (s)hocking origin! Moreover, I had still not completely recovered from my last bollywood movie hangover of ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’. It was a third-degree torture to say the least. Conveniently, the worst movie of the year by a long margin for me!!!
So the odds were heavily stacked against me watching ‘what I previously thought’ would be another bollywood disaster…
But then, that’s what this movie has achieved so beautifully throughout: Winning against all Odds!
The way it tackles different issues, brings them to the forefront and then blends them all into ONE, makes it a rare masterpiece.
If there is caste discrimination in the form of coach ‘Kabir Khan’, then there is gender biasing in the form of ‘women’s hockey’. If on one hand, its about the glory of nationalism & patriotism. Then on the other hand, it also symbolizes the triumph of ‘Girls Interrupted’ with determination & team spirit!
From the harsh ground realities & corruption in the sports authorities to the complete neglect of hockey in general & women’s hockey in particular in India. From the media- villain: ‘gadaar’ Kabir Khan who sold national pride to Pakistan in a World Cup Final to the media-hero: ‘desh ki shaan’ Kabir Khan who made the whole country proud by leading India to the World Cup crown.
Chak De! is about how a bunch of 16 girls from all over the country play as a TEAM. Something that is easily said than done. How they prioritize their game: First, the country. Second, the other players in the team. And lastly, in SRK’s words: ‘agar thodi bahut jaan bach jaati hai to’ for urself! How they grow as individuals: from being state players to being a part of team I N D I A…
The rift between the seniors & juniors and subsequently between the ‘sweet sixteen’ on one side and the coach on the other side and how matters get sorted out! The feeling of being so close but still so far in the men’s hockey match & then finally making it to down under. Then the crucification by the mighty Aussies in the opening match to the rejuvenation: rising from the ashes like a Phoenix to beat the kangaroos at their own game!
Well I can go on & on & on…
That’s because rarely a movie depicts various seemingly unique problems & then interconnects them with utmost ease and most importantly shows the way ahead: The solution. And Chak De! manages to do this without being very serious & boring. It remains a complete entertainer for the masses (read SRK fans) & also puts the message across very firmly indeed with a touch of sarcasm, here & there (the continual cold war with cricket). In a nutshell: A winner all along.
So as I moved out from the theatre, having watched the movie for the second time in one week after its release (the only other Hindi movie which got this privilege before was: Rang De Basanti), a few thoughts played hockey in my mind:
Would this turn out to be the best bollywood flick of the year? Maybe…
Any chances of being nominated for Oscar from India? Not sure…
& then winning it??? NO!
And then a smile broadened my face:
Leave all that, how about completing a hat-trick of Chak De!??? DEFINITELY…
Believe me: Its worth a watch anytime!
Hence, Proved: “First impression is not always the right one… Beware”!!!
P.S. To all those kind people who bear to go through this: Where would you rate this movie among your all-time favourites?
And to all those who have still not seen it: Hurry up & watch it soon! (And then return here again to answer my question.) Thanks :-)
But not always…
For if that had been the case, this post would not have been possible!
While watching Ocean’s 13 in gurgaon, I stumbled upon the trailer of Chak De! India and almost instantly made up my mind: I can live happily without bearing this stuff for sure!
Well first there was Hockey ( I am a sports lover, but never have been a die-hard ‘our national game’ fan), then it consisted of a terrible (yes that was the first word that hit my neurons) looking song: ‘Ek hockey doonge chak ke’, casting few not-so-beautiful girls ( now that does matter to some extent) and finally there was SRK again!!! Not that I hate him (Infact I think he is one of the best actors around), but he simply didn’t fit there.
So I made sure that this pathetic 2 minute-trailer immediately evaporated from my senses…
Then the last nail in the coffin: The movie was not receiving very healthy publicity owing to its (s)hocking origin! Moreover, I had still not completely recovered from my last bollywood movie hangover of ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’. It was a third-degree torture to say the least. Conveniently, the worst movie of the year by a long margin for me!!!
So the odds were heavily stacked against me watching ‘what I previously thought’ would be another bollywood disaster…
But then, that’s what this movie has achieved so beautifully throughout: Winning against all Odds!
The way it tackles different issues, brings them to the forefront and then blends them all into ONE, makes it a rare masterpiece.
If there is caste discrimination in the form of coach ‘Kabir Khan’, then there is gender biasing in the form of ‘women’s hockey’. If on one hand, its about the glory of nationalism & patriotism. Then on the other hand, it also symbolizes the triumph of ‘Girls Interrupted’ with determination & team spirit!
From the harsh ground realities & corruption in the sports authorities to the complete neglect of hockey in general & women’s hockey in particular in India. From the media- villain: ‘gadaar’ Kabir Khan who sold national pride to Pakistan in a World Cup Final to the media-hero: ‘desh ki shaan’ Kabir Khan who made the whole country proud by leading India to the World Cup crown.
Chak De! is about how a bunch of 16 girls from all over the country play as a TEAM. Something that is easily said than done. How they prioritize their game: First, the country. Second, the other players in the team. And lastly, in SRK’s words: ‘agar thodi bahut jaan bach jaati hai to’ for urself! How they grow as individuals: from being state players to being a part of team I N D I A…
The rift between the seniors & juniors and subsequently between the ‘sweet sixteen’ on one side and the coach on the other side and how matters get sorted out! The feeling of being so close but still so far in the men’s hockey match & then finally making it to down under. Then the crucification by the mighty Aussies in the opening match to the rejuvenation: rising from the ashes like a Phoenix to beat the kangaroos at their own game!
Well I can go on & on & on…
That’s because rarely a movie depicts various seemingly unique problems & then interconnects them with utmost ease and most importantly shows the way ahead: The solution. And Chak De! manages to do this without being very serious & boring. It remains a complete entertainer for the masses (read SRK fans) & also puts the message across very firmly indeed with a touch of sarcasm, here & there (the continual cold war with cricket). In a nutshell: A winner all along.
So as I moved out from the theatre, having watched the movie for the second time in one week after its release (the only other Hindi movie which got this privilege before was: Rang De Basanti), a few thoughts played hockey in my mind:
Would this turn out to be the best bollywood flick of the year? Maybe…
Any chances of being nominated for Oscar from India? Not sure…
& then winning it??? NO!
And then a smile broadened my face:
Leave all that, how about completing a hat-trick of Chak De!??? DEFINITELY…
Believe me: Its worth a watch anytime!
Hence, Proved: “First impression is not always the right one… Beware”!!!
P.S. To all those kind people who bear to go through this: Where would you rate this movie among your all-time favourites?
And to all those who have still not seen it: Hurry up & watch it soon! (And then return here again to answer my question.) Thanks :-)
i cudnt appreciate the movie as much as you have, but surely it shud be india's entry to the oscars this yr...the impact tht the story cud have made would have been much higher than it actually did
still worth a watch...
Regardless of the quality of the movie, i would have defly watched it sometimes in my life. Cos i am generally biased towards khan's movies. But tht could have been next year or may be the year after..
But now that you recommend the movie so highly, i will watch it sometimes this year itself :p
Btw 16 women and 1 man.. is there no sex/sleaze angle involved?
Havent watched the movie so can't comment on it. But everyone's been raving about it, in much the same overwhelmed manner as u have, so i guess i should give it a try.
An awesome piece after a long time. Shahrukh's theme based movie after Swadesh may gonna distort the image of his Lover-Boy but his looks are still charming as ever.
An amazing tp of 3 hrs ( 6 hrs before to get the ticket)
This movie endorses the spirit of nationalism , womanhood back in a single stroke. And not to forget the characters who seemed truly original and genuine. Moreover,it wasnt Shahrukh who stole the show but the whole team of 16 gals (though not beautiful but chandigarh one was awesome) as one gracing the theatre.
And Jitin planning for a hat trick, sure its worth spending your salary ;)And boy, you touched all aspects of the movie..great going. Keep up the good work.
Truely speaking i hate SRK. The only reason is that whenever i watch his movie, i get a tear in my eye and then i realise that i was kind of emotionally blackmailed by SRKs plot in the movie.........so now i generally avoid watchin his movies,.........bt nw i think i l again have to let him have a chance to emotionally blackmail me ;-)
he he he........
Jitin jitin jitin... what a coincidence!! Today i decide to finally visit your blog n leave a comment and just today, in the morning, i got to watch chak de!! Hmmm... so your praises are all well placed... yes. Never before had i seen soooo many audience cheering n jollying up for a movie like this! More than a movie... it was like watching a hockey tournament, and a very energetic one at that!
A few bones of contention though--- the first half was very realistic, but the second half adequately scrapped off that impression. Hmmm... ideas were sound n merry... but way too far-fetched n unreal. You dont expect a team down in tatters to find a life like that n rise to glory all of a sudden.
But hey, criticism aside... i loved it. Casts the spotlight back on our national game that the media n sponsors have so conveniently sidelined n ignored. Will tell ya a lil secret... was so moved towards the end that when the haryana-hurricane passed on the ball to 'preeti sabhrawal' in the final match... i actually felt tears well up in my eyes! Imagine... i NEVER cry in movies!!
Okay have no 'list' of all time favs but can assure you of one thing... this one rubs shoulders with the elite top brass :)
Moving stuff... and shit, i sound like a mushball!
ya, u have very rightly reviewd the movie.. Truely the movie was awesome.. And, u watched it twice.. Wah..!! Sahi hai.. :-)
@ shreyas
well it wld b gr8 if it indeed turns out to be india's Oscar entry... & wins it too :)
keep visting sirji...
@ arunabh
hmmm... another die-hard SRK fan!
if that's the case: u must definitely watch it very very soon...
abt ur query: lets keep the suspense!
keep visiting mr. blogger :)
@ musab
yes u should definitely give it a try immediately & i bet: u won't be disappointed at all!
& then return for ur comments :)
@ shuchita
i hv completed a HATRICK now!!! i simply cud not resist the temptation to see the movie in general & the chd gal in particular ;-)
well after swades this is undoubtedly the best of SRK for me!
& yup its not abt only him but the whole bunch together...
& thanx a lot for ur appreciation...
keep visiting :-)
@ ajaypal
he he he...
hope ur blackmailed by this one already ;-)
keep visiting!
@ sidharth
thanx sid :)
@ yashika
hey 'english mistress': you are not only an awesome blogger but one of the best commentors too :)
( no exaggeration here )
well thats really a pleasant coincidence then... u must hv been able to enjoy this movie review to the max. then!
Well i do agree with you to some extent that second-half was a bit unrealistic, but then the movie would hv been incomplete without the world cup victory!!! wat say?
Infact, i think it was one of the most realistic sports-movie in bolly (compared to tara rum pum & apne types!)e.g. losing men's hockey match, crashing in opening WC encounter & then recovering step by step for the final victory lap! ya it was predictable, but still enjoyable all the same!
hope you would agree on this!
About ur lil secret: u won't beleive even i got a bit emotional at that moment (a rarity for me too indeed)!
If u don't knew already: the 'haryana-hurricane' is from dehradun... so liked her performance & dialogues even more (a bit biased). 'preeti sabhrwal' bowled me over with her hockey skills & looks both!
& i hv completed a HATRICK now :-)
well what are ur plans???
keep visiting!
hey i have also seen Chak De...maza aa gaya tha yaar..... it was awesome movie...i do agree not to exptent of Lagaan though but yes it was worth watchin.... i would say it was as good as Swades or even better... though Swades was not a Box Office hit but i relly liked that movie...
yeah u're right.. first impression is not always right.. from the helluva dust thrown up in the air from the very successful running of the movie over a period of several weeks, i was imagining all sorts of things about the movie and had built a huge edifice of an impression regarding Chak De. And after i finally settled down to watch the movie this weekend from the 1st row in absence of tickets, i realised i was watching just another ordinary bollywood movie made special by an above-par cast performance and the ever-saffron-white-green flavour of nationalism. this is a kind of movie u'd like to watch on 15th august amidst a cheering crowd, but is surely not one of those that make ur day every time u watch'em. too much expectation killed the fun for me, frankly.
and for those who use the popularity of cricket to defend the hockey-based movie, plz look outside bollywood - there's a whole lot of excellent movies on "unconventional" or rather "unpopular" sports (chariots of fire based on sprint racing) which for me beat chak de hands down. i'm no enemy of chak de here [:)] i'm just saying chak de isn't the end of the world!
@ mridul
hmmm... so i hv finally found someone who didn't like it very much! I respect ur point of view & various remarks that u made... thanks for that! but I differ on a few of them: i dont think it was 'another ordinary' bolly movie! keeping in mind the standard of the present bolly: this was extraordinary! well it may be the perfect independence day movie... but it is worth a watch on any other day too... if u think that it is nationalism spirit revisited, then why not? infact, we should be grateful that movies like these reunite us as a country: a fact conveniently forgotten today! well i hv no doubt u must hv been a fan of Lagaan, just bcoz it was cricket there! & mind you, cricket does need a wake up call from the royal significance it is bestowed with every single time! If 'hockey' is our national sport, then let it be given the due importance...
& one should not compare bolly with holly! Both are on different planes altogether...
Having said all this, i really like a critics opinion on my post & am really thankful that you did it this time!
Now everything seems to be complete!
keep visiting :)
@ mudit
ya this is indeed a special movie... as gud as Lagaan i wld say! but can't be compared with Swades... though SRK rocked there too!!!
keep visiting :)