Chak De India- Reviews (Pg 32)B-O(42) - Page 27

The film opened to a mixed response. The multiplexes opened to a 60% response but the evening shows hit 80-85%. The single screens were lower at 40-50%. Overall the reports are encouraging from major centres and the film should emerge a success in most circuits. Circuits dominated by single screens like Bihar and CP Berar may struggle.

http://boxofficeindia.com/

Chak De India Premiere with SHAH RUKH!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEgbZIkmpoM&mode=related&sear ch=

New York Times Review

MOVIE REVIEW | 'CHAK DE! INDIA'
MORE ON 'Chak De India'
'You Go, Girl,' as Translated Into Hindi

By ANDY WEBSTER
Published: August 11, 2007

The making-of-a-team sports movie is a timeworn genre, and yet "Chak De! India" ("Go, India!") finds new variations. Though the game here is field hockey, those fondly recalling the United States soccer team's first-place finish in the 1991 Women's World Cup will find a lot to like.

Of course, there are conventions. Kabir Khan (the assured Bollywood veteran Shahrukh Khan) is a former player for India's national field hockey team who missed a fateful play against Pakistan, costing a championship and making him a pariah. Seven years later, he is hired to coach the nation's women's hockey team, giving him one more shot at a title.

The players, from states all over India, are a fractious lot, including a tomboy (Chitrashi Rawat) whose father fears she will never marry; a forward (Sagarika Ghatge) whose boyfriend, a cricket superstar, wants her to quit the team and live in his shadow; a newlywed goalie (Vidya Malavade) whose in-laws expect her to stay at home; and a haughty, seasoned player (Shilpa Shukla) who needles the coach.

When leering boys at a McDonald's harass them, a girls-against-boys melee erupts, but the coach doesn't interfere, knowing the team will prevail — and find its spirit. From there, it's on to the women's hockey championships in Melbourne, Australia.

The director, Shimit Amin, strikes a buoyant, propulsive tone, replacing the customary Bollywood production numbers with exhilarating musical montages of team practice. For his part, Mr. Khan, to his credit, lets his co-stars' youthful charisma carry the movie. He also laudably portrays a man who vigorously and unabashedly advocates the advancement of women.

In fact, the film's greatest merit is its commentary on sexism in India. As it should, "Chak De! India" gives the women, in the closing credits, the last word.

CHAK DE! INDIA

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/11/movies/11chak.html?_r=1&or ef=slogin

Chakde! India

Verdict: New
Weekly Earnings: -
Total Earnings: -

The major release of the week is Yash Raj's Shimit Amin directed, Shah Rukh Khan starrer, 'Chakde! India'. Given the sytematic, though low key publicity(deliberate), the 18 crore 'Chakde! India' is likely good returns from metros and big cities.

Needless to add that it will do excedingly well in the Overseas, thanks to SRK!

http://www.planetbollywood.com/BoxOffice/index.php

Chak De India Movie Review

Chak De India - A feather in SRK's cap

Joginder Tuteja, IndiaGlitz [Saturday, August 11, 2007>

Can I catch hold of the first person who said that CHAK DE INDIA is an experimental film? Or it is not the kind that entertains? Or worse, it is 'just' a sports/issue based film laced with patriotism? And by the way, 'just' is the key word here! Because the fact is that it is much bigger and much better than all that is being said about the film, more within the industry than outside.

CHAK DE INDIA has a fairly simple plot about a beleaguered hockey captain trying to redeem himself and regain his pride by ensuring that as a coach he gets the World Cup for the women's hockey team. So far so good and fine intentions. But how will he make this possible? This is what takes a viewer through a journey which is thrilling, thought provoking and above all entertaining.

Shimit and writer Jaideep Sahni doesn't beat around the topic of patriotism much. Neither do they get into 'bharat-mata-ki jai' mode every now and then. Heck, they don't even harp on the 'united-we-stand' theory much. What they do is to get the two facts very right - 'Being adaptive to change' and 'Playing one's best game'. This is what they consider as the two pillars for success which would take this highly demoralized, un-sponsored, de-motivated, ill-focused and divided team through the Finals!

And don't they do an amazing job in doing so?

When I attribute this win as that of Shimit and Jaideep, it doesn't mean any discredit to Shahrukh Khan. It's in fact a big one for him because after SWADES, it could just be the second instance in his ultra-successful career that audience would go back talking about Kabir more than the King himself. Now that's what you call a win!

There has been much talk about Shahrukh Khan shedding his Rahul/Raj image for CHAK DE. Yes, he does that. And does that right. Still that doesn't take away from the fact that Khan is at his characteristic best. He gets the right expressions for a guy who is playing a man with his bunch of 16 girls around. He loves them, ridicules them, threatens them, hurts them, motivates them, inspires them and plays with their psychology. And when the woman amongst the girls makes an advance towards him, he knows how to keep temptation at bay!

Each of the girls in the crowd have their own background. No, they don't eat away screen space by being episodic in nature and it is to the credit of Jaideep and Shimit that all of it sounds justified and well concluded. The girl who towers above everyone else is the petite Haryana player whose lingo, dialogue delivery and body language gets the theater into ruptures every time she appears on screen. Closely follows the jumbo from Punjab who eventually learns that keeping a cool head wins games.

The Chandigarh girl brings on the X factor while the North East duo look cute and confident. Vidya Malvade as the captain of the team is fair. One would have expected a captain to be more in synch with the decision making while deciding upon game plan and strategy but that doesn't quite come across at all.

As a narrator, Shimit Amin strikes an excellent balance while interspersing his AB TAK CHAPPAN shot-taking in a Yash Raj Films setup. What could well have been a humongous task comes across quite convincingly as the coming together of entertainment with a good dose of real emotions strikes a goal. No pun intended.

Throughout this 2 hour 30 minutes film, you keep glued to the proceedings with not a single minute making you feel disinterested. In fact the parts before and after the interval have their own tales to tell. The first half is absolutely breezy while stuffed with light hearted/truly hilarious moments. The introduction of team members, their first meeting with the coach followed by the training sessions and solution to all the misunderstandings (well almost) are so engaging and fast paced that you don't realize the moment film reaches the interval point.

On the other hand second half concentrates on getting the adrenalin rush with all the action. Shimit and Jaideep stay away from showing a complete turnaround in fortunes the moment team comes together. Instead they stay practical by taking a gradual approach towards holding the trophy, even if that means hurting a few egos, breaking a few bones and shedding a few tears.

Shahrukh Khan proves yet again why he is Shahrukh Khan. Even his (few) detractors would have to admit that he is there because he is! Period. Cinematography of the film strikes a good balance between gloss and realistic, as required by the situation in the film. Background music is the high point of the film and deserves 10 out of 10. Salim Sulaiman compensate for the average tune [barring the title song which is intoxicating] with a rocking track that enlivens the 150 minutes spent in the auditorium. Editing is good and there is not a single scene which doesn't deserve to be there.

Yash Raj Films deserve a bow! And also Shimit Amin. And also Shahrukh Khan. And each of the 16 girls who make sure that more than her, the character comes first and gets noticed by one and all. The film will truly go down as one of the most prestigious, meaningful and wholesome affair from Yash Raj Films who prove yet again that why they continue to be numero uno in the business.

Rating: ****

http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/review/9323.html

I m so happy this film is getting such good reviews. I hope it does commercially well also

Chak De India (2007)

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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? Mujhe sirf ek mulk ka naam sunaai deta hai - 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, now forgotten, does. He knows what it takes to get there. And what it means to return empty handed. This time, he wants to make sure that it's different. He knows there are no second chances. Despite his past, he believes that if only the girls played as one, anything would be possible. Because Kabir Khan believes that it is not that we can't win. It's just that we have never believed we can. Chak De India is the story of a coach's fight of making his team, Team India by overcoming their diverse backgrounds, by learning to use everything that life hurls on them as a secret weapon. It's a story about honesty, sincerity and integrity. A story to remind the nation of its national sport

http://nowrunning.com/CGI-BIN/film/ChakDeIndia3953.asp

Cinemax promotes Chak De! India NEW!

By Businessofcinema.com Team
11 August 2007, 03:32 PM

MUMBAI: Multiplex chain Cinemax honoured Hockey coach Negi, on whose life the Yash Raj Films' Chak De! India is based. The girl gang in the film were also present at the opening of their movie.

The cast interacted with the audience, whereas coach Negi assured patrons that he could completely identify with the role portrayed by Coach Kabir Khan (played by Shah Rukh Khan).

Cinemax vice president marketing and programming Devang Sampat said, "Chak De! India is definitely one of the biggest films of the year and Cinemax is glad to promote the movie. Being in tune with our patron's desires, we knew that they craved to meet a few personalities who were involved in the sport . So we thought of initiating this star visit with Coach Negi, the "Guru" of hockey and the lead players in the film. We are confident that this gesture will be well appreciated and cherished by our patrons."

http://www.businessofcinema.com/boc/?file=story&id=4745

Chak De India is a Winner

India's first movie on women's hockey opens to packed houses

After flooring cine lovers in London, Chak De India - first Indian film based on country's women's hockey team- released to a tremendous response across the country on Friday.

The film, which stars Shahrukh Khan, revolves around the story of a women hockey team that goes onto win a World Cup.

The film received a warm welcome from cricket crazy Indian audience for its subject and storyline.

"The movie was really very nice. It was worth," said one of the cine goers, who admitted of being a great fan of cricket star Sachin Tendulkar than Shahrukh Khan.

"The film gives a push to women hockey players as it could revive public interest in the dying game, which is also our national games," she added.

This film is a shift from a regular Bollywood movie as it diverts from the usual and delves into the unexplored arena of sports.

"The film is very good. It's a complete Shah Rukh Khan film with lots of sporting action," said another viewer.

Not many films have been made on the subject and after 'Lagaan'-which was made on cricket, its 'Chak De India' that comes packed with a heavy dose of hockey for the audiences.

'Chak De India' is a story of a coach's fight of making his team overcome obstacles and motivate his team members to a historic victory.

"What happens to people who play it and what goes on a regular daily basis when you play it? How much training is done, how much drama happens behind the scene. What kinds of characters play this sport? Who plays it actually, when nobody really wants to play and what kind of women are involved in playing this. I had to gain that kind of knowledge," said Shimit Amin, director of the movie whose earlier directed 'Ab Tak Chappan" received rave reviews.

The story depicts a hockey team consisting of a rag-tag bunch of girls who get disillusioned with the system and resort to other games just to get a pensioned job and a secure future.

Their interest and passion is revived by a forgotten a hockey coach, played by Khan, who enters into their lives and fuels them with a new vigour and enthusiasm to take up the sport with a new agenda- to bring laurel for their country.

The film also stars model Vidya Malvade along with a plethora of newcomers including one real life hockey player.

The film is devoid of the typical song-and-dance routine characteristic to Bollywood films.

"It has a very serious take. People who think after seeing a film will like it. People who just want more entertainment, they might be a bit disappointed and say, 'Oh, this is not having a song at all'. But, I think every good thinking person will enjoy the fact that we have attempted something like this," Khan said.

The character of Kabir Khan, the hockey coach, is believed to be inspired by a real-life former goalie Mir Ranjan Negi, who was charged with allegations of match fixing after India lost to Pakistan in 1982 Asian Games.

Seven years later Negi's honour was restored when he was absolved of the charges. He coached the national women's hockey team to win gold at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.

Dailyindia.com/ANI