Chak De SRK
Chak De India (Go India), a.k.a. Bend It like Dhyan Chand, turned out to be much better than its cheesy theatrical trailer (is there anything lamer than Shah Rukh spouting third-grade rhymes?). It’s the most politically-correct mainstream Bollywood movie I’ve ever seen, slamming sexism, racism and regional prejudice. And like Dor, it’s the latest mainstream film to use a Western background score, though the setpiece songs are still pukka desi.
The story begins with Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), a Muslim player on the Indian men’s hockey team, missing a penalty shootout against Pakistan. Accused of throwing the match, he moves his family to safety and leaves the sport. Seven years later, the Indian women’s hockey team is sans coach a scant three months before the World Cup. Khan turns up, looking for a young team to guide to gold and salvage his honor. The plot is apparently based on the life of an actual coach:
Kabir Khan was based on Mir Ranjan Negi, a hockey goalkeeper from India, who was branded a traitor by the Indian media after India’s loss in the 1982 Asian Games Final… Negi later went on to successfully coach the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams. [Link]
[In 2002] India begin the celebrations as they are awarded victory and the gold medal, beating England 3-2 after extra time… In stark contrast to the England team India celebrate their gold medal… [Link]
A real-life victory in ‘02
The movie calculatedly hits all its sports movies clichés. You can tell whether a match will be won or lost based on the number of losses earlier in the film. It mashes the patriotism button hard. When Shah Rukh dusted off his Melodramatic Stutter, we all giggled. Many of the actresses were clearly were cast for beauty over sportiness and are blanks on the silver. While mocking regional stereotypes, the movie also relishes indulging in them. And the climax is yet another battle-of-the-bands finale.
But the movie is effective despite all that. It shows the fraternity / military strategy of breaking down players’ identities and remaking them into an effective unit. It smacks swaggering machismo in the face with a hockey stick. It tackles Bollywood’s smirky assumptions about people from Tamil Nadu, Jharkand and Mizoram. It even dares to puncture India’s obsession with cricket. The subtitles are translated into idiom (’yeh haar kitna bhari,’ this heavy loss (or necklace), becomes ‘a heavy cross to bear’), though the most colorful epithets are left out. And yes, looking at Sagarika Ghatge and Vidya Malvade for three hours is none too painful.
Shah Rukh: It’s a little embarrassing because some of them were five to six years old when they saw my films. Then you suddenly realize, god! you are old… [Link]
The crowd on India’s Independence Day was rowdy and fun, throwing out call-and-response like ‘Vande Mataram‘ and ‘Jai Hind.’ Within the first three seconds of the trailer for Madhuri’s comeback, they cheered like mad — they’d already seen it on satellite.
I couldn’t help feeling bad for Australia though. Sydney and South Africa supply the strawmen for racist and dim-witted white characters in every other Bollyflick.
Director Shimit Amin previously made Ab Tak Chhappan (56 So Far), a Bombay cops ‘n gangsters flick. Here are Neha Viswanathan and Filmiholic on the phlim.
on Tuesday, August 21st, 2007, 8:00 pm in Film, Sports › 
Email this
› 
Facebook this
› 
Reddit this
› Link
› Reader links
Yeh Haar Kitna bhaari : Haar here probably means Loss , as in haar -jeet. so the translation is accurate.
Could be, but the subtitles talk about bearing a cross, which is English idiom. They don’t directly mention a loss, or an albatross.
Shut up. We all know you only liked it ’cause of the hot girls. Of course the first pic is of their derrieres. ;)
Is that the male perspective? ;)
Or, since one wouldn’t want to be heteronormative: from the perspective of someone who appreciates women’s bodies.
I don’t recall any of the “white” people being racist in the movie at all. Are you sure that’s not just your (limited) interpretation? In fact, at one point, the Ozzy woman comes up to wish the Indians luck, and it’s the Indians which are rude (but not racist).
Chauvinist Aussie coach, game 1.
Umm…Hockey? Isn’t that played on ice? Is there some other name for this game I might recognize?
It’s known in America as football, and in Canada as curling ;)
Manish - I keep staring at that person in the bottom left of the group photo. Suddenly, your sojourn in mumbai last year makes sense now.
-ducks to avoid the withering glare o’ death-
I believe that is the expat from Toronto :)
I am not surprised. This DiDi really looks the part. No Fear!
Umm…Hockey? Isn’t that played on ice? Is there some other name for this game I might recognize?
Field Hockey, that is the formal name. It is played on grass or astroturf, as opposed to ice hockey on ice.
It is (or used to be) very popular in South Asia, and parts of Europe. In last 20-30 years, cricket has over whelmed hockey in South Asia.
In US of A, women play field hockey at the college level.
The crowd on India’s Independence Day was rowdy and fun, throwing out call-and-response like ‘Vande Mataram‘ and ‘Jai Hind.’
Where was that? Sounds crude.
Kush, I believe you rose to Nina’s bait.
Al-Chutiya, at the Imaginasian.
Tamasha, your wisdom is unparalleled.
Manish - You mean Andhra Pradesh/Non-Tamils. Bloody Northies!, always assume everbody from south are madrasis :D Seriously, we are different, you want proof! Telugu vs Tamil
The lines were:
You’re learning quickly, V-U! :)
Saw this movie. It is a true sports movie. I feel this one is kind of a Bollywood “Remember the Titans” (I am sure there are other more appropriate hollywood movies, but I can think of Titans right now). This movie shows that Hindi movies are on a maturing trend. All round good performances from SRK and the girls. Great movie.
Haven’t seen Chak De, but Indianoguy, that clip of Vijaykanth was hilarious!
Movie was awesome really enjoyed and felt in every scene MUST WATCH movie …
I do not if there was “white” racism in Goal but Chak de surely had indian vs indian racisim. http://monmemoir.blog.com/