Chak De India -- Movie Review

India
August 15, 2007 5:08am CST
The movie is one of the most anticipated movies this year churned out by Bollywood and it came as a rude shock to many as Sharukh khan will not have a pair. Chak de India is basically an experiment in the sports genre which is slowly getting its takers in India after the success of Lagaan, Iqbal and Apne. The movie though looks like an inspiration from the Hollywood movie The Mighty Ducks and Miracle, it has been sprinkled with some desi spices to make it stand apart from the English counterparts. Chak De India is about a hockey captain played by Shah Rukh Khan who is falsely alleged that he is a traitor after he misses a goal in the world cup final. After seven years of isolation he comes back to regain his lost pride by coaching Indian woman’s hockey team. Shah rukh khan builds a team and makes them the best. The movie has a wafer thin story line and it heavily relies on the screenplay and Shimit Amin doesn’t disappoint. The director has done a neat job in presenting this movie on the silver screen. Though the pace does get affected half way through still it’s a joyful ride. The Dialogues are power packed with witty and motivational dialogues woven together with great care to register an impact. Some of the scenes which stand out is the match between the Indian team versus Argentina which even though for a couple of moments is enjoyable to the core. And the fight sequence in the restaurant, which is celluloid superbly. It is a performance wise superior movie with Shah rukh standing tall with his head straight and chin up. A superlative performance by him binds this movie together. Every one of the girls comes up with a superb effort, of the lot Vidya Malvade stands up with a natural performance, Chitrashi Rawat as Komal Chautala does a splendid work and Tanya Abrol as Balbir Kaur is a revelation. The technical aspect as expected from any Yash raj movie is splendid with superb camera work and International standard production values. The cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee is grand as shooting a hockey like game is not easy. Overall the movie was an enjoyable watching experience especially in the theatres as the same effect wont be obtained while watching in a home theatre. The movie is indeed an experiment towards qualitative cinema and the sports genre does succeed and that too in style.
5 people like this
20 responses
@firumon (501)
• India
15 Aug 07
Hi dear friend, I received your friends request and approved it just now... Then i want to know that where are you from, and realised that you are from our capital.. Then i want to send you one message... So i just took a discussion you have started from your home page.. Chak de India.. I viewed this movie yesterday.. Me and some of my friends use this great Independece day enjoyment as to watch this movie.. Shahrukhan is my favourite bollywood actor.. I watch the movie because of that... But after watching that i realised that its not only a Sharukhan film but also a..some thing more of that.. How can i explain it! Anyway a very good movie.. We have done nothing wrong in selecting the August 15 to view this movie... Its not easy to take a play, thats in very controlled manner... That credit goes to the director and the camera man.. The dialogues, oh!! What a perfection!! All are better than other... That dialogue from dressing room with that sexy lady- "What she have more than from me" and his answer after closing that zip... The whole theatre clapped, what a performance.... I think all are new in it but it never can identify from movie... I mean every one have showed best performance... Anyway i am concluding... Your this big discussion contains the theme of movie plus inspiration to watch it.. Nice dear friend.. Keep it up.... Thank you... Take care....
2 people like this
• India
16 Aug 07
That's really so nice to know your views .. you have excellently expressed your views. I appreciate that :)
2 people like this
@firumon (501)
• India
16 Aug 07
Thank you dear friend, Thank you very much for spending some of your valuable time on commenting upon my response... Actually i am not well in hindi.. I know only our mother tongue Malayalam and english.. Hindi knows but not well. Some of my friends know hindi.. I asked them when have any doubt.. I usually not used to go to hindi movies, but i am very happy to see Shahrukhan... Anyway this was a great movie.... See you friend, Bye...
2 people like this
@swatig (1183)
• India
16 Aug 07
No doubt, movie is marvellous and should seen atleast once. but your review above about the movie is also very good. i also recommended others to see the movie with their near and dears and congrats you for yur good description for the movie.
• India
16 Aug 07
Thaks swatig for all the appreciation :)
1 person likes this
• India
16 Aug 07
Yes, I have read reviews on Chak De India though I have not seen the movie yet. Its good to see offbeat movies being made in Bollywood and marketed as commercial cinema. Indian cinema does have a rich history of diverse movies, but they were mainly NFDC-funded art films, few of which appealed to the masses. More directors like Shimit Amin are required to add variety and thought to Indian cinema. We have had enough of candyfloss romances, inane sacrifice dramas and violent sagas, we need more such visually appealing cerebral movies. And yes SRK too needs more diverse plots if he is to ensconce himself as the undisputed star of the millennium. He is one of the few brilliant actors we have, who has a ‘mind’ and not only a gym-shaped ‘body’. He can look as convincing as the guy-next-door yet notwithstanding his short height, he can actually make you believe in a ‘hero’. The topic of the movie is also very well thought, one that should appeal both to the politically correct ‘girl-power’ theme and also stoke the dying embers of Indian hockey!
2 people like this
@dbhattji (2506)
• India
15 Aug 07
I went to see this movie today - it really was very nice - it infuses everyone with feeling and pride for our Nation.
• India
15 Aug 07
Yeah .. I agree no doubt :)
1 person likes this
• India
16 Aug 07
Hi thanks for the review...looking forward to watch this flick,was really looking forward to watch this one. Just give your impression is it better than 'Lagaan', i know some films are hard to compare...still??
• India
16 Aug 07
Dear biswanathkar I won't be able to comment much about it -- that it's better than Lagaan or not .. the thing is -- it has it's own place and Lagaan movie has it's own place .. so I cannot compare it with Lagaan.
1 person likes this
@RedCore (325)
• India
15 Aug 07
I havnt seen this movie but it really sounds good. I have heard lot bout "Chak de India" movie n hope its cool. I really want to see this movie...
• India
15 Aug 07
Hi Dear You must see the movie .. it's really good :)
1 person likes this
• India
7 Sep 07
one of the most amazing movie seen in recent times and also management colleges are taking this film as case study for management lessons must watch for everyone
• India
1 Sep 07
Chak De ROCKS pple!!! A technically sound movie. A must-wacth for girls. Well the director has taken a different approach to women's hockey in India. well Shimit Amin has again proved that Ramu n his followers belong to a different school of film-making. This film has a good strategy chalked out by a former Indian Men's Hockey Captain n d director. I presume it is based on a real life HERO. KUDOS!!!
1 person likes this
• India
1 Sep 07
Preeti Sabharwal is really really gorgeous.
1 person likes this
• India
1 Sep 07
SRK looks fabulous wid a beard. This movie makes u sit back n think bout the sport n plight of Indian women. It was really good to c a packed audience cheering @ every single frame of the movie.
1 person likes this
• India
1 Sep 07
It was ike watchin a hockey match on 70mm during the latter part of the movie. On an all its like a documentary, the way which i like it 2 b.
1 person likes this
@gharinder (2044)
• India
11 Sep 07
hi touch , its a great review, have done a great job, just about two weeks before i had watched this movie and indeed i enjoyed a lot, especially the wittiness of the movie.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58678)
• Delhi, India
16 Aug 07
Thanks for writing a review on the movie. The movie makers must thank you for publicising their movie, on this forum...LOL! I have also read its reviews that it is a wonderful movie, havenot got chance to see it. .....but I plan to see it, whenever I can, because I think, this kind of movies are not made everyday.
@keeshan (87)
• India
11 Sep 07
Gud review touch! and pretty gud movie indeed... Every actor has made justice to their character. Few dialogues are simply too inspirational and induces a sense of pride for the country. Yeah.., after a really really really long time I watched India - Korea match (which I loved watching when I was kid... esp for koreans long passes and "man to man" markings!). The stadium was houseful and an amazing display of skills and team play by India... Thanks to Chak de!
1 person likes this
@rb200406 (1824)
• India
15 Aug 07
Yes i have seen the movie & it is worth seeing specially for the tecnical part & brialliant acting by all the characters.The movie is a smooth ride with the storyline stick to the basic.There is no over the board drama.The screenplay is good with all the ingedients of a god movie.The Movie is shot brialliantly with excellent camera angles.A must see movie especially if you love sports.
2 people like this
• United States
16 Aug 07
Bollywood is still far rear in making movies on sports type subject. Such type of movie requres a huge talent and creativity that we can not find here. Movies could have beeen better if Amir khan had beeen there in the movie. I think that is only actor who can cast the life in such a passionate and obsessed character.
2 people like this
@mastinet (467)
• India
16 Aug 07
Chak De India is no doubt a superb movie. It is a movie with aspiring story and had a very good moral. Sharukh khan had done a very good role and had made a good come back with this movie. I really feel that he is very well suited for this role. The moral and story of the movie is very fine and inspires the young blood. It diverts the attention of young generation towards our country and releaved the problems faced by our hockey team in India. Over a must watch movie with lots of emotions and inspiration.
2 people like this
@srkool (1012)
• India
20 Sep 07
i have watched Chak de India 1st day only.....superb movie. shahrukh has done a memorable role the girls in the movie are superb and it is one of the best movies from the yashraj films banner overall BLOCKBUSTER
@shaeen (413)
• India
23 Aug 07
its a awesome movie............... its almost close to laagan..... 2n best film .... after laagan
1 person likes this
@eshaan (6188)
• India
16 Aug 07
oh! ya, I saw its song yesterday or a day before ,don't remember but it was an interesting song, i saw it from the middle so i thought that it must be some album song made to encourage Indian hockey, but now i knew that its a movie from you. I think that must be a different from crowd movie, I will wait for it and definitely watch whenevr i get time.
1 person likes this
• India
1 Sep 07
hello touchnshine i was infact waiting for the movie to get released from the time i watched the trailors of it.its just a fantabulous movie of shahrukh khan that i have seen so far.i really enjoyed every part of it.as you said the cinematography is actually superb and its a great work done by sudeep chatterjee.and the way it has been presented on the screen i think its revolution in bollywood.its for the first time that i found a bollywood movie so natural.all the characters have done a fantastic job.basically i liked komal the most.she has done a great job.
• India
7 Sep 07
This Movie gives inspiration to sports especially hockey palyers. It is basically an experiment in the Sports genre which is slowly getting its takers in India. Shahrukh khan builds a team and makes them the best to win the game.
• India
14 Sep 07
the movie is excellent especially shah rukh acting was wonderful as a coach and all the girls have done well it is definitely a inspirational ever made and it is based on a real life story it is also to be included in management curriculum and it shows about how to build a team and how team work plays than an individual.