Chak De! India (2007)

Kabir Khan is the coach of the Indian Women's National Hockey Team and his dream is to make his all girls team emerge victorious against all odds.

Director:

Shimit Amin

Writers:

Jaideep Sahni (dialogue), Jaideep Sahni (screenplay)

Stars:

Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Sagarika Ghatge

Top Rated Indian Movies #68 | 33 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shah Rukh Khan	...	Kabir Khan
Vidya Malvade	...	Vidya Sharma
Sagarika Ghatge	...	Preety Sabharwal
Shilpa Shukla	...	Bindia Naik
Arya Menon	...	Gul Iqbal
Seema Azmi	...	Rani Dispotta
Nisha Nair	...	Soimoi Kerketa
Sandia Furtado	...	Nethra Reddy
Masochon V. Zimik	...	Molly Zimik
Kimi Laldawla	...	Mary Ralte
Chitrashi Rawat	...	Komal Chautala
Shubhi Mehta	...	Gunjun Lakhani
Anaitha Nair	...	Aliya Bose
Tanya Abrol	...	Balbir Kaur
Kimberly Miranda	...	Rachna Prasad

Storyline

Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) knows what it's like to come back from the dead. The ex Indian Captain has now come back in the avatar of the Coach of the Indian Women's National Hockey team. A team that exists more on paper and less in reality. The team is a rag-tag bunch of girls with their own agenda. A bunch of girls who have forgotten what it is like to play for the love of the game. Of playing because you want glory for your country. Not because you want a pensioned job or a government flat. They have all forgotten the sharp thrill of just holding the hockey stick, keeping their eyes on the ball and playing for all they are worth. They have played every game but hockey to make sure they get selected every year in the Indian National team. But what does it really mean to play for the Indian National team? To play for India? The girls have never known the thrilling energy of being Team India. Of giving their all to see their country's name on a trophy. But Kabir Khan, once a captain, ...

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Plot Keywords:

team | hockey | coach | brawl | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes Winning is Everything

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Sport

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shah Rukh Khan stated in a speech delivered at the University of Edinburgh that the phrase Chak De! was originally "an inspirational martial cry that Sikh soldiers used while lifting logs in order to make bridges across rivers on their campaigns against their enemies. It implies the will to get up and get on with it."

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Goofs

The day and time in Aaj Tak Tv News is always "Tuesday 10:59", even during the next day's riots.

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Quotes

Kabir Khan: She is only fainted! Not DEAD... Get her out of the field...
[with disbelief]

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Connections

Referenced in Chance Pe Dance (2010)

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Soundtracks

Maula Mere Le Le Meri Jaan
Music by Salim Merchant & Salim Merchant
Lyric by Jaideep Sahni
Performed by Krishna

User Reviews

Lots of goosebumps, adrenaline rush and hot Segarika Ghatge

What's in a name? Although initially this movie drew some amount of controversy outside India among viewers of non-Indian origin, the final movie just falsifies all those who advocated that the title "Chak De! India" was non-representative and was supposed to mean to only a niche of moviegoers. This movie would've been just what it is no matter what is was called or which country made it. Director Shimit Amin's entry in YRF simply transforms the entire perspective of movie-making and movie watching, both for the production house and the viewers.

Generally, you enter the theatre for a Yashraj movie expecting foreign locales, lots of song and dance, impossible and unbelievable characters, poor storyline, bad performances and a helluva investment but this movie delivers what no other Yashraj film ever did. Initially a sports movie, Chak De is rather a story of hope, courage, unity, integrity and the dreams. This film finally proves that you don't need Preity or Rani opposite SRK, and he all by himself, with a great screenwriter, great director and a good cast of the hockey team can make a great movie. There are lots of heroes in the movie - the women's team and these ladies simply steal the show. Mainly Bindiya, Balbir, Priya (the hot chic) and Komal.

See it gets very hard when there is an incredible amount of character development to do. There is a ghost that follows Kabir throughout the film and writer Jaideep Sahani makes a very good use of it. I do admit the fact that he's watched an incredible amount of Hollywood sports flick to develop this script, but he adds his very homely formulas and successfully manages to retain this film as an original Indian movie. Some parts of the film are directly lifted like the part of Kabir's ghost and few of the women, but all in all I refuse to say this is a Hollywood copy.

All in all, this is the best summer Hindi movie I've watched so far, not because it's got SRK but I love the script, the witty one-liners where sometimes with double meanings, every girl with her story (but I feel at most points the characters don't fully grow), well coordinated game sequences (though the practise scenes may bore you because there are a LOT), and above all the message the film delivers - when united, there's nothing you can't win over. The message is pretty well conveyed. You feel the adrenaline rush through the World Cup matches, a lot of goosebumps thanks to the great scoring by the Salim Sulaiman duo, well crafted script and good direction. Shimit's work is original contrary to the reservations I carried for him being a product of Ram Gopal Verma's school of direction.

SRK, as usual is great with his acting (and beard,) Vidya Malvade is the overly publicised captain but unfortunately other girls outdo her, the Jharkhand girls provide a dimension against contrasting Bindya and her queen bees. Segarika Ghatge's character Priya Saberwal is most memorable for her looks, style and for being hot and everything. The North East girls do answer some of vital questions of the North East Indians about their existence in their country as foreigners. The class conflict, egoistic chicks and their attitude problem and stuffs are absolutely well portrayed in the film.

All in all a well worth. Requires basic knowledge and enthusiasm in hockey. But avoid if you're looking for SRK as the lover-boy - he's the tough coach.

Details

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

10 August 2007 (India)

Also Known As:

Chak De! India

Filming Locations:

Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$351,887, 12 August 2007

Gross USA:

$1,120,404

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,505,244

Company Credits

Production Co:

Yash Raj Films International Ltd., Yash Raj Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

153 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1