Aug 13, 2007 12:16 AM
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Yup. Not Shah Rukh Khan, but it's Kabir Khan who takes the cake and stays in your mind as you walk out smiling out of the auditorium after watching Chak De! India.
Lemme start at the beginning. Yash Raj has not done too well in 2007. And when I first saw the 8-minute promo of Chak De! India
(Hockey doongi rakh ke), linwardly groaned ~ not another bummer. And
sob not with Shah Rukh jee in the lead ~ PLEASE GOD PLEASE!
My prayers were answered!
The film is one of the best films of 2007 so far, and I'm thrilled to say, one of Shah Rukh Khan's best
performances too :).
It's not easy for a director to make a film with Shah Rukh Khan as its lead actor (not to mention, its only star) and yet not succumb to the temptation of resting the film on his
(now pretty well-toned) shoulders.
And Shimit Amin and Jaideep Sahni have done a beautiful job of not making Coach Kabir Khan the star of
the film, but merely the catalyst that brings life to a story and a team that 'almost' didn't make it in the first place.
I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen the film already, but I have to list down my Top 5 reasons for wanting to watch it a second time round...
1] Shah Rukh Khan of course. Not
because he's Shah Rukh Khan, but because he brought Coach Kabir Khan so much to life that the character overshadowed the actor (probably only for the third time ever in his 16-year career...the first two times
being in Swades and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna).
2] Coach Kabir Khan's character sketch, which stays true to the role throughout. We never see any other side to his personality
except what we're meant to see, that of the player, and then the coach who wants his name cleared and JUST wants his team to win.
3] The story, which is not only refreshingly different, but extremely interesting and unpredictable.
4] The screenplay, which is not easy to execute in a sports film,
especially in one where the sports sequences are about 40% of the film, and yet keep them interesting to keep the viewers at the edge of their
seats.
5] Last but not the least, team India, who're rocking! Be it
the girl from Punjab, the little Haryaanvi, the 'mem' from Chandigarh,
the 'lost in the woods' girls from Jharkhand or any of the other eleven
girls who constitute team India, each one's character is well sketched
and given an interesting personality.
Watch it for sure, atleast once! I'm off to book my tickets for a repeat watch this Independence Day!
