Chak De! India (2007) - Hindi Movie Review

Ranking: 3.75/5

Cast: SRK
Director: Shimit Amin
Music: Salim and Sulaiman Merchant

There are so many western movies that have made it big in America. There is a movie like this for every sport and every competitive event...typically the team or person will not be good enough to do anything but then with adequate training and motivational dialogues they will surprise the world with their achievement. Chak De India! also follows the same route without digressing one bit.

The story is about Kabir Khan (SRK) a dethroned captain of erstwhile Indian Hockey team that lost to Pakistan during world cup finals. Kabir not only gets shunned for his decision to take the penalty goal himself but is also alleged to have let Pakistan take the cup home thus giving him the title of a traitor.

Shying away from his life Kabir moves out of his home and hometown only to come back to Delhi wanting to coach the miserably failing Indian women's hockey team. He is confident that he can absolve himself from the past in which he was wrongly accused. With lot of reluctance the selection committee accepts his employment and Kabir is on the ground waiting for the team to come in.

The taskmaster that he is Kabir starts out by trying to nationally integrate the team and train them day and night for the World Cup in Australia. He makes a lot of enemies inside the team and also within the selection committee...but the story ends showing us how he overcomes all the hurdles and difficulties that he is posed with.

It is certainly a run of the mill story but not one bit boring. SRK's histrionics in the movie without him spreading his hands and falling to the ground singing romantic songs can be well appreciated. He keeps you convinced about his conviction and all the hockey match sequences are really well charted out and interesting. Not as gripping as Lagaan but definitely worth watching it once. The sketches of various team members are also portrayed very efficiently without taking too much time off the main plot.

I saw the movie on a "buy one ticket and get one free day" and saved $5...and if you can do that then the movie is totally worth it...it really does not require a wide screen...but a must watch...