Movie Review: Chak De India

One fact the reviewer missed was that the real life hockey coach was a disgraced hockey goal keeper of men's team--I think in one game he allowed some 7-8 goals--who avenged by coaching women's team.

Good review....on the last statement....I think its very important for the story to be a true story to have a bigger impact emotionally on people and its easy to find such stories in US or other places where sports are a dominant part of day to day life and people really care about sports.....in India however I don't know how many people really care about sports other than cricket.....but if story diggers dug for stories they'll find numerous examples of triumph of human spirit and teams that won against all odds.....one such great sports movie was Sahib....I am not sure if it was based on a true story but Anil Kapoor did an amazing job connecting with the audience....

All sports movies don't have to be about winning....sometimes people work really hard and ultimately loose, one such great movie was Friday Night Lights.....an example of that would be Milkha Singh who came 4th in the Olympics....

Point to be noted - Shahrukh was in hockey university team. he was the captain of hansraj college team. that has really helped him in this role. but a tighter script with exciting moments was missing. so an average movie at the end of the day as rightly pointed above by vijay. good review.

Shah Rukh is no Aamir who can excel in any role. Whenever he tries different, he fails miserably. Someone ask him to stick to his DDLJ kinda sappy movies.

I really liked the movie, even more so than that other sport-as-a-metaphor movie Lagaan. The first half has less "action", as the hockey team's getting built and the second half has a lot more activity. However, the first half has a lot of good drama and some of the funnier moments. Over all, it was one of the better movies I've seen in a long while. The movie's very tightly made and not overly long, has no unnecessary love angle and no unnecessary song-and-dance routines (however, the score which, like Hollywood movies, plays in the background, is quite good). Some nicely done insults have been hurled Cricket's way.

go to hell!
srk rocks!

Donot you watch " Bazzigar", "Swades","Don" also the famous "Circus". In all the cases Shahrukh Rocks. Please before passing any statement watch "Chak De India". And Amir had done only "Laagan". He also fails in "Mangal Pandey". So it's all upto the public. donot compare Sharukh with Amir.

sensational super hit of the year. It will create history . It will break records of bollywood in collections

SRK is awful in this movie.....Amitabh Bachchan would have been God in this movie.....SRK is nothing compared to Big B

u just shut up. ur aamir khan only can do mangal mandey. srk rocks in the movie

simply a good movie.

"The movie has all the ingredients yet it lacks mass entertainment value."

Nonsense.

In the theatre where I watched the movie, the audience was involved at every step, going completely silent at tense moments, laughing at the humour and cheering the hockey team as if they were watching a live match.

The movie was a thorough entertainer: great jokes, great characterization even with a huge cast, numerous tense moments and for a change, realism! Most Bollywood movies have caricatures of settings and people, this has realistic settings and people.

I think that in attempting to give an "accurate" prediction of the movie's success, the reviewer Vijay has just calculated based on standard parameters such as the number of songs and romantic liaisons. The great thing about Chak De India is it proves that Bollywood movies can be entertaining without those formulaic ingredients.

As for Shah Rukh, yeah his movies sell on persona rather than acting ability. His early acting career is mostly poorly acted. But he's been doing some good movies like Swades of late. In Chuk De India his role doesn't require much acting. For most of the movie he's a tough dispassionate coach. That's how coaches are supposed to be. It's not Shah Rukh's fault.

This movie should have got 4 out of 5 stars.

was u watching shahrukh or the movie??.......why dont u understand that an actor is nothing without a good movie....though amir has a bigger list of worst movie ever made in india like mangal panday, mela......and many more......this is a great movie......and shahrukh suits best for this role.....

who is big b yaar .........the mrityudata actor.....have really seen the movie chak de???

nice movie....perfect average vote.....4.8.....one of the finest performance by sharukh khan.....all the girls has done a ge\reat job.....

I believe in the acting of SRK. I would like to see him trying different roles.
(Now that he has got a lot of money/power/hits/awards) May be he can care for fans like me, who like his acting skills more than his boyish charm.

Because as for me, he performed 10 times better in Fauji than in KANK.

This movie rocks!!! In the theatre I watched, the audience was cheering and clapping and laughing all the way. The movie is not just about SRK but all the characters have done a brilliant job...I think they are the real stars of the movie.
I love this movie and had goose bumps watching it...gonna watch it again. cheers.

C'mon people stop being biased !!
it is an awesome muvy.. Sharukh has done full justice to the role..no one else could have done it better. And plsss amitabh bachchan, let him continue his 'HAIIN' !
the girls have all acted very well, chautala, balbir, and specially bindia. The scene in which the team is introduced and the other one of lunch at Mc.donald's is simply superb...

one of the best performances by sharukh..
the muvy is very engaging and yes we felt like we were watching a live match, the audience here in london luvd the muvy.

SA83.

uhh....to the comment above...isn't AB a teeny bit old for this role? or do u want him to just keep taking up roles blindly like nishabd and cheeni kum

he is back in action
shah rukh rulz , theres no second thought bout it. he completely justified and empathised the role ..very well made movie...
and three cheers for YRF (Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra) for getting into different generes in every film and still creating history.. Masters Of the so called BOLLYWOOD.........

Does big B know how to hold a hockey stick? This is the most biased review of an excellent film. The theater was rocking with people cheering at every goal. The crowd was involved in every way. SRK performed the role of a life time - and he cannot be bested by anyone in this role - he knows hockey, having played college level hockey. Shameless review by a reviewer who lacks objectivity and perhaps did not see the film. Vidya WAS welcomed proudly back into the fold of her husband's family, Komal's dad was overjoyed - what more do you want - a saga of each life till they die?

An Excellent movie of the year so FAR.

Seen it first day first show, planning to see it again with freinds.

It is a Brilliant film!!!!! It had all the audience captivated! Great effort! SRK is excellent!

Thank you for the review. Saved my time and money!!

i beg to differ, srk is a terrific actor and so is amir khan. why compare the two? instead lets celebrate each actors unique qualities. i mean srk can pull off any role with such ease. he is truly a remarkable actor and a force to be reckoned with. amir on the other hand is also an inspiration to any actor for his ability to portray such diverse characters...

Chak De India is an excellent movie. Shahrukh khan is back with bang. It's srk's one of the best performed movie.I enjoyed every moment of movie. Direction was superb. The roles played by the new girls was also superb. There is no doubt that this is the best movie of 2007 till now.

Even who hate shahrukh movies.... watch this movie... your doubt about his acting performances will be cleared...

To begin with, Shimit Amin had a difficult subject at hand. Had he chosen cricket, his half the battle would have been easily won. But he did not do that and opted for a game which excites not too many Indians anymore. On top of that women's hockey. And that is what I liked about Shimit Amin and Yash Raj Films. I am always in for a movie which tries to present something "new" and "different" rather than simply copy some Hollywood, Hindi or Southie flick.

Having said that, I do expect that the movie does not take the audience for granted. On what basis does Kabir Khan make Vidya the captain? If that's ok then at least I would expect the captain to lead from the front and inspire the team. But I do not remember I saw any scene where the captain addresses the team. Well she does prove her worth at the end but that too not in a convincing way.

Second, what turn of events took place in between losing 0-7 to Aussies and defeating England 1-0? I did not see the coach even talking to the team after they were thrashed in the first game at the World Cup. C'mon the writer took a convenient way out. That's poor screenplay.

I usually overlook these kind of blemishes in the story and try to enjoy the movie. But then there again, I was let down in the first 45 minutes, where I thought the movie did not move much. The first powerful scene was only just before the intermission when Kabir says it's a small price to pay if he is able to unite the team at the cost of making them his enemy. That scene had some punch. I expected more of such scenes in the first half. Why waste precious reels in introducing each and every character? A better screenplay is one where the characters get introduced by themselves as some drama unfolds. Not like any roll call.

I liked some of the scenes especially the totally unpredictable match before the Association agrees to send the team to the world cup. You got to surprise the audience with the unexpected. McD scene too was impressive by the time it ended. While Komal Chautala and Priti Sabharwal fought for the top honors, Balbir was very funny.

One good thing was that SRK looked more like Kabir Khan than Shah Rukh Khan. He did try to start his typical sentimental rona dhona but the director was smart enough to chop those stuff pretty quickly!

For all its pluses and minuses, Chak De deserves 2.5 stars. And maybe 0.5 more for chartering a new territory. I am happy Shah Rukh still has his loyal fans as seen by so many responses above to my review. But I think they have been outnumbered by Salman Khan fans, who made such a crappy movie like Partner a superhit! :)

its a good movie but not an excellent as mentioned by some of shahrukh's die hard fans above. i read reviews at other sites and there are mixed reviews. but the best review is at indiafm. go read it there. this is good too. i like vijay's detailed yet short reviews.

ameet jain - "Chak De India is an excellent movie. Shahrukh khan is back with bang."
are u nuts? shahrukh was, is and will always remain The King. Where had he gone that u write he is back?

I'm no SRK fan but even I would say that this movie is a far cry from the goddamed blasted masala movies from the house of Bhatts starring newbes willing to shed their clothes even if it's a scene that requires them to sneeze. What is laughable is people that encourage such movies and look for flaws in a movie like Chak De India...but then I'm forgetting people go out to watch movies with balls and not brains.
Chak De is a simple movie, entertaining to the hilt and stirs up positivity among the watchers. for his role, SRK carried it off brilliantly. It would be foolhardy to compare him to Aamir for if anyone has seen Fanaa, they would know that Aamir has his own flaws!

The review is very fair its calling a spade a spade and all SRK fan bois need to calm down......the reviewer has not blamed SRK for this movie......in fact the two things he says are good about the movie are the director and King Khan......it's the screenplay which sucks which is always the problem with Indian movies......

Here's why I think Aamir is better in such roles because the difference between Aamir and SRK is that Aamir knows he's not that big of a star and he makes sure the movie is really well made.....SRK does count a lot on his star appeal and doesn't get involved in the movie making......if this was Aamir's movie this could have given any Hollywood movie a run for quality.....

and someone said has Big B held a hockey stick in his life? you ignorant fuck if SRK was signed for this movie because he held a hockey stick......then I think Shimit Amin needs casting lessons....

This is so much like Swades, people liked it.....and yet felt it could have been better.....

I am happy that SRK has given something different to his fan bois to hold onto when they watch their fav. star's botox melt away and in the coming years when he's only seen in filmfare and other award shows being moved to the back one row at a time until he fades away completely......

Simply awesome!!!!!!!!!!!Leaving all about king khan or amir khan or Big B we shd appreciate the players....esp that punjab and haryana gal....Hats off to all the team members...I love the movie

tell me any scene which u remember after the movie

Yes, i remember many scenes. which one do u wanna hear? i wish shahrukh had appacepted bindiya goswami's offer :)) lol

oops, bindiya naik's

On the contrary- Sharukh is the best. He does nt have to try too hard to prove his mettle. He is a commoner who can put sould in even a dead script. But in Chakde, backed by a gritty script, his performance is outstanding and laudible. His eyes conevy thousand emotions - pain, hope, courage, conviction, determination, you name it and he got it. A very contolled yet gritty performance and a great movie to watch with friends and family.

TOO GOOD. I NEED THE POSTARS

I'm sorry about the reviews given... I think the movie is the best made movies in terms of back stage act...
You talk about screenplay, script, and most important technical brilliance including camera.. someone has quetioned about SRK performance I think that idiot has gone mad..

dis place is a zoo !

loved it. Amazing mind blowing movie. Why can't bollywood make more movies of this kind.
I was not a fan of shahrukh but after watching this movie, now I am the biggest fan of Shahrukh.
He indeed is the emperor of bollywood.

Cheers,

Disgusting movie..(yaar yeh log nakal bhi dhang se nahi kar pate hai) shahrukh is a bullshit.........he is the most stereotyped awful actor INDIA has ever produced......comparing him with AAMIR and BIG B is like showing disrespect to this great actors.....INDIA rocks shahrukh sucks......

Arre common grow up yaar............You people are fighting comparing with other actors.....If Shah rukh is an awful actor why the hell you go and sit there and wasted 3 hrs....Catch some amir or amitabh movie and sit at home.Its very funny that you people are comparing amir ...or Big B or blah blah................each of them are good in their own ways............

Here is my version of the review

http://moviesandchinmay.blogspot.com

That movie was amazing!
It was a great influence on kids about team work and that everybody is diffrent but in a really good way.
It was amazing how they put the movie together and Sharuk Khan was a really good actor in the movie!
( So who ever chose Sharuk... two thumbs up for you!)

The best SRK movie till date!!A must watch for every Indian spoerts lover.Also the sports association should learn something.SRK rocks!!!!!!!

All you srk lovers, why can't u accept that chak de has flopped....chak de as a movie was never good. srk gave some star appeal. otherwise it was total wash out.
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/aug/14chak.htm
http://indiafm.com/trade/boxoffice_update/index.html

http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Cdiscores.htm
After the the below expectation results of Ta Ra Rum Pum and the debacle of Jhoom Barabar Joom, Yashraj Films are back and have resumed dishing out hits with Chak De India.
Chak De India got an average opening but it was clear by the Friday evening shows that the film would do well and the collections on Saturday just confirmed that. The all India average opening on Friday stood at around 60% but on Saturday and Sunday the collections were 90-100% at major centres. The smaller centres did not zoom up but still did well enough to hold their collections. The film has been released on approx 400 cinemas all over India with a major chunk of the screenings in metroes and A centres..

The film held rock steady on the dreaded Monday with collections of 60-70%. There is expectation of the collections to rise over the weekend again as there is appreciation for the film from the public.

Chak De India will emerge a hit or better in Mumbai, Delhi/UP(UP is only fair but Delhi/NCR is strong), East Punjab, CI, Nizam and Mysore. The other circuits will depend on how well they sustain collections from here on. But it's unlikely to have a losing circuit as even Bihar may notch up 18-20 lakhs from the 7 prints sent to the circuit.

On an all India basis the first week nett business should come in the region of 17-19 crore. The approx breakdown of collections are Friday-2.35 crore, Saturday-3.40 crore and Sunday-3.75 crore giving it a 9.50 crore nett gross for the first three days.

Overseas the film has disappointed with its start but the makers expect it to hold its collection well into the second week.

http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Cdiscores.htm
read this article boss and u would know that CHAK DE is a hit

not saying anything about the movie as I have not seen it....but 19 crore for a SRK film is dismal and if he wasn't there the movie wouldn't have collected half of it....so that tells you how good the movie really is

those who are ciriticising Chak De India clearly lack a sense/ respect for experimental cinema and are only interested in watching banal movies. Be a sport......Try to check out something different. Chak De is awesome...........One of the best movies of "The Best" Shahrukh Khan.