Chak Diya!

Movies in the sports genre have been a difficult & relatively unexplored terrain for Bollywood filmmakers, and the few that have treaded this path have had the game more as a backdrop, than a focal point. Even Lagaan & Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, the most successful of our sports-oriented films, did not manage to do away with the hero-heroine romances & song-dance routines. Others like Iqbal, which managed to get critical acclaim, were never considered mainstream cinema because of their limited audience.

When I first saw the promos of “Chak De! India”, I was skeptical whether a different subject like women’s hockey could be turned into watchable cinema. Infact even after it released, I had half a mind if I should see the movie. But 2 days back, I ended up watching “Chak De! India” which was, to simply put, “delightful cinema”!

The story of a rumbustious bunch of girls being transformed into World Hockey champions is refreshing in its treatment and director Shimit Amin deserves kudos for believing in the subject. He could have easily let the film slip into a boring documentary-like on hockey in the name of serious cinema. At the same time, the temptation, to have Bollywood’s leading actor romance a popular actress as his lady love (with a song and dance thrown in after a coaching session), must have been very hard to resist. Yet the director did not let his vision stray and so we have a male coach train sixteen females without him falling for anyone on the way. This is a definitely a deviation from predictable Bollywood.

The movie however does have its set of stereotypes, and the climax is typical Bollywood fare, but that is only to be expected. There are times when movie starts to move in a hackneyed fashion. Despite all its clichés, what works for the movie are its characters – the girls get an even-handed opportunity to share the screen with the mighty Khan. And they deliver – with their histronics, one-liners and emotions. The script carefully etches every character giving each of them their unique flavour – be it through language, mannerism, attitude or their background. Not surprising, it is these unknown names that make you sit up and enjoy this journey that has never a dull moment.

Shahrukh delivers a tailormade role with panache, and he manages to do so without overshadowing the others. The technical departments excel in what they do but again given the performances & witty dialogues, you don’t seem to notice anything beyond. Not even the relative lack of music or Bollywood mush. The film mixes patriotism (without being jingoistic) and entertainment, higlighting on the way issues like gender inequality and indifferent attitude towards sports in India.

All in all, “Chak De! India” is another feather in the “coming of age” Bollywood’s cap & the packed houses are a testimony to this. Must watch!