Chak De! IndiaYears ago famed basketball coaching legend Pat Riley said, "There's No 'I' in Team". He wasn't the first to say it, nor will he be the last. That kind of remark has been used by team sports coaches, well, since we've had team sports. Get the team to put aside petty differences, individual goals, and interpersonal disharmony...and anything is possible.
This has been what championship sports teams have done, and this is the same formula that has been used in all of the most successful sports movies. Assemble a rag-tag assortment of losers, get them to band together, and then walk off not only with with the championship gold, but also with the hearts of the filmgoers.
There's no surprises in this kind of film. The story is always linear and follows a standardized pathway. So when you bring this kind of story to the screen you'll need excellent direction, casting, and acting to make your mark, as the story has oft been told before.
Such a film is
Chak De! India. The title translates to
Go! India. Released on August 10th, 2007, this film went on to garner a large number of India's film awards like Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.
The sport in this film? Woman's Field Hockey! While that sport may not create a lot of excitement for you - think of how you felt while cheering on the team in
Hoosiers (basketball),
The Replacements (football), and or even the new film from Eastwood,
Invictus (rugby). Trust me, you're going to get caught up the same way in Chak De! India.
As the film begins, India is about to lose the Men's Field Hockey World Cup Championship to Pakistan as their best player, Kabir Khan, portrayed by
Shah Rukh Khan, would miss a penalty shot. Postgame he is seen shaking hands with a member of the Pakistani team. An enterprising photographer snaps a picture, and soon, the muckraking press corps has launched a campaign that Khan intentionally missed - that he sold out his country and his team.
This was not the case at all, the handshake was merely good sportsmanship, but the sports crazed Indian public bought into the story. Khan was ostracized by his neighbors, branded a traitor, and his career in sports ended. He was forced to abandon his family home and move on.
Flash forward 7 years, The India Women's Hockey Association Board of Directors meets and the topic of disbanding the team is discussed. What is the point said the Director. We have no talent, no coach, no media, and little fan support. This team is so bad, said this Director, that they probably would lose to a European High School team.
At that point, Kabir Khan is brought in as a candidate to be the coach.
"Mr. Khan, where have you been for the last seven years?", he's asked.
"Preparing for this interview," he replies.
And so he's given the Coaching Post. He's got three months to whip the team into shape, or else he's going to be dismissed and the team disbanded.
The team is made up of 16 girls from all over India. They speak various languages: Punjabi, Telegu, Hindi, Urdu, and English so communication is a problem. Some are scorned by other players on the team because they come from some remote areas of India like Jharkhand, Manipur, and Mizoram. These girls are made to feel like foreigners in their own country.
Factor in the concept that some players will have to change positions, some have personal issues like a husband wanting his wife home cooking and cleaning rather than pursuing a field hockey dream. Another player has to deal with the fact that her boyfriend is a world class cricket player, and he wants her to give up hockey and marry him immediately because in his mind, cricket is important, but women's hockey? Who cares?
So Kabir Khan has to make this squad of individuals into a team. He endlessly makes them do repetitive fundamental drills. Five AM 10 K training runs become the norm. He works and works and works them. They grow to hate him. As their first unified effort as a team - they present a petition requesting that he be dismissed as coach. So he resigns.
At his farewell luncheon at a restaurant (his treat), a few of the girls are sexually harrassed by some men in the restaurant. Soon, every girl on the team is involved and a fight breaks out.
Khan the coach does nothing. As he had hoped for, this was the defining moment as the girls on the team have finally bonded together. Some how his message of unity, and playing not for themselves, but for India and the team has sunk in. So they ask him to stay on.
Soon the team is traveling to Melbourne, Australia for the World Cup. And you know what happens there. This is an inspirational sports movie, so I don't have to spell it out.
Director
Shimit Amin has a done a wonderful job with this film. The vibrant colors, the pulsating theme song, plus the choices made to round out a cast of young Indian women who will have you rooting for them, and caring for them, could not have been done better.
Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan is not going to be singing and dancing his way into your heart in some lush alpine meadow like he's done before in so many films. There's no female co-star for him as this is anything but a romantic comedy. Here Khan is going to get us caring about his character with his acting chops.
I think this is a heart warming sports film (of course) but it will also touch on patriotism, women's rights, and male sexism in India. It isn't a message film, nor is too preachy. It is purely and simply a winner.
Recommendations: Chak De! India
Last updated: 2009-12-17 16:09:24 by JustMeMike
