Chak De India- Reviews (Pg 32)B-O(42) - Page 54

CDI one of the biggest hits of the decade

Shimit Amin has just delivered one of the biggest hits of the decade Chak De India for Yash Raj films.

http://www.buzz18.com/features/movies/has-ram-gopal-varma-lo st-it/14801/2

Time for Chak De, India

10 Sep, 2007, 2001 hrs IST,Narayana Murthy,

NEW DELHI: The other day, my wife and I were perhaps among the very few post-fifty people in the mostly-twentyish crowd watching the film Chak De in Bangalore. You had to be there to believe the shouts of joy that accompanied every goal India scored in the imaginary tournament in the movie.

The mood at the end was as if India had actually won the women's world cup in hockey. I can appreciate this mood since I too felt similar joy and pride when hundreds of cameras clicked at me holding our national flag, on India and my being declared the winners of the E and Y world entrepreneur award among the forty-odd competing nations at Monaco in 2003. As I exited the theatre after watching Chak De that day, several youngsters asked me for my reaction to the movie. My answer was simple. I said I wanted to see the movie become a reality not just in hockey but in every sphere.

The recipe for such a success was most wonderfully conveyed by Shah Rukh Khan and those wonderful women hockey players in the movie. Let me recount them here. We have to identify as Indians first and rise above our affiliations with our states, religions and castes.

We must accept meritocracy and enthusiastically play the role we are best suited to. We must embrace discipline to strictly follow every step required for success. We have to put the interest of our nation ahead of our personal interests, subordinating our egos and biases. Finally, we have to put in tremendous hard work and make short term sacrifices for long term glory.

I have immense faith and optimism in the youth of this country. But, will we get our leaders to set examples for hundreds of millions of Indian youth? I wish more and more of our leaders see Chak De and learn these precious lessons.

(The author is Chief Mentor and Chairman of the Board, Infosys)

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2356374.cms

A fair game after SRK's 'Chak De'

Riddhi Doshi
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 03:23 IST

"Yeh chakki-belan chalane wali Bharatiya nari hai. Yeh kabhi knicker wicker pahan ke hockey ke maidan par utar sakti hai kya?"

The 'sports administrator', who spoke these infamous words on screen, had to eat his words in the end when the 'Chak De' girls came home triumphant with the hockey world cup. The movie, it seems, didn't just end up with the usual feel good factor and a tax-free tag.

The SRK reel effect in 'Chak De' seems to have rubbed off on the real as more and more girls seem to be taking up active sports.

Shah Rukh Khan's 'Chak De India' has got the goody girls hooked on to sports. "It's a revolution," says Anjali Shah of Premier Indian Football Academy (PIFA), adding, "The number of inquiries and enrolment of girls in the game has gone up by 50 per cent this year.

In fact for the very first time, women above 20 years also want to learn the game and play for the country." PIFA is all set to form a woman's football team after four women insisted on learning the game and forming a woman's team.

PIFAis on the lookout for 15 women to complete their women's football team. And as far as hockey is concerned, the sport has suddenly received a huge momentum.

Ignatius D'Souza, sub coach of the Bombay Hockey Women's Association informs that four Mumbai schools namely St Paul Convent High School at Dadar, Pawar Public School in Bhandup, Canossa Convent in Andheri and St Teresa's Convent in Santacruz have introduced hockey in their sports curriculum.

Even colleges are fast catching up with the game. Nisha Nair, the girl who plays Soi Moi in 'Chak De India' is an ace hockey player in real life as well.

She along with Ranjan Negi, the one who taught Chak De girls to play hockey, encouraged the Poddar College girls to form their own team. Nisha says, "I felt great when Poddar College actually formed a girls' hockey team. Things are changing. Everybody around me seem to have suddenly grown fond of sports. It feels great."

d_riddhi@dnaindia.net

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1120883

The winning combo

12 September 2007

From bruises and hugs the hockey players of the film talk about the events that they experienced during nine months of shooting.

THEY GIGGLED and reminisced the nine months of strenuous shooting they went through for Chak De! India but it was strange to see the go-getter hockey players of the film shed their sporty look, walk around in stilettos and with make-up on.

Tanya Abrol, better known as the tough Balbir Kaur, was nicknamed 'The Falling Queen' during the shoot, while Shubhi Mehta or Gunjan Lakhani broke her ankle and had her back all black and blue during the hockey practice sessions, the girls revealed.

But life has changed drastically for the bunch of girls.

"Life is different now. Earlier we led a normal life but now we just can't walk on the street without attracting a crowd. It feels great to have people appreciating you and asking for autographs. At the same time it also makes you feel responsible," Shilpa Shukla, who played the fiery Bindiya Naik, told IANS with a smile.

Dressed in a black tee and carrying a smart black leather bag, Shukla, who is an ex-student of Miranda House college in Delhi, was flanked by Arya Menon (Gul Iqbal) on one side and Mehta on the other.

"We are having our celebrity moments now," chirped Menon, dressed in a bright pink t-shirt and blue jeans.

Going back to their days on the field, the girls, who were in Gurgaon for an event, narrated many of their bitter-sweet experiences.

"I was nicknamed the falling queen because when we were running down a hill during the shoot of the song 'Chal zara zara se', I fell five times! I was so embarrassed that I burst into tears," said Abrol, the no-nonsense Balbir of the movie.

"The assistant producer then came up and along with the entire gang cheered me up. They boosted my ego by calling me 'Punjab da puttar'!" she added.

The tiny little canon ball of Haryana, Chitrashi Rawat (Komal Chautala), said that one of her favourite moments in the film was when Shah Rukh Khan picked her up after the team won a match.

"I was thrilled to the core. Shah Rukh is simply the best. He helped us give our best performance," said the perky-eyed lass, who hails from Dehradun and has done her bachelors in mass media from Mumbai.

Wearing a maroon dress and big dangling earrings, Rawat said she had to chop off her tresses in order to fit the bill for Komal Chautala.

"Komal is a go-getter who wouldn't let anything stop her. When I am on the field playing hockey, I get into Komal's mould. Otherwise, this is who I am," she remarked, twirling her bangles.

Post Chak De the girls are now flooded with movie offers.

"I have signed a movie opposite Abhay Deol. It's called 'Junction' and the shooting will begin next month. I play the role of a girl who is depressed and has suicidal tendencies," Shukla said.

"Although I don't want to leave theatre, I am planning to do more movies because I seriously need some money now!" she added laughingly.
Menon, similarly, has got two movie offers from down south for which shooting will begin in October.

Abrol, on the other hand, plans to complete her studies before venturing out into the entertainment industry.

"I am in my B.A. final year so I will complete my studies before taking up any offer," she said.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/CityHome.asp?xfile=data/citytime s/2007/September/citytimes_September128.xml§ion=citytime s&col=

SKJha interviews Shimit Amin

Q&A: 'Hockey players need all the support they can get'
12 Sep 2007, 0001 hrs IST

To Shimit Amin goes the credit for reviving interest in the game of hockey, thanks to his film Chak De! India which has become a cult success. He started his career with Ab Tak Chhappan about the life of 'encounter' cops. Amin spoke to Subhash K Jha:

Did you ever expect Chak De! India to become so special?

Not really. I mean the making of it was very special. We had such a variety of cast and crew, from the research team that came from all parts of the country to a cast that comprised athletes, untried actors posing as hockey players. Lots of real hard work went into it.

The film has become far more than just another entertainer. People have been carrying it forward. We just have to sit back and watch it move forward. We're enjoying all the reactions. We've been lucky.

The film brings up several issues such as gender equality, the Indian Muslim's identity and the neglect of hockey.

Yes, it does. But we never set out to make an issue-based movie. We were pretty careful about how we told the story. We wanted the emotions and drama to go right. Yes, the issues come out of the story. But they are not THE story. I couldn't have asked for a better layering for my story from my writer, Jaideep Sahni.

Do you see the film benefiting hockey in the long run?

As far as the film's impact goes, we don't know how much it would finally help hockey. But even if kids look at hockey in a new light or even if they're given a hockey stick in the gym and urged to play the game, i'd consider our endeavour to be successful. That Suniel Shetty has been appointed the ambassador for hockey is just so heartening. It proves a buzz about hockey is in the air. To me everyone who recommends Chak De! India for a viewing is an ambassador of hockey.

Are you surprised by the reaction to the film?

I'd sound very silly if I said I knew the reactions were coming. We wanted people to like what we've done. But the way people have embraced the film is outstanding. People are going back to see it, and that's amazing. There are so many layers in the plot. And people have taken to all of them.

There's the danger of the publicity unnecessarily glamorising female hockey players.

I see nothing wrong with that. Hockey players, especially women, need all the support they can get. Even a bit of a push helps these ladies. They come from really humble backgrounds and need their self-esteem to be raised. All they need is a little bit of support from all of us. The girls who acted as hockey players are such amazing actresses. I'd love to work with them again and not just as athletes.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Editorial/QA_Hock ey_players_need_all_the_support_they_can_get/articleshow/236 0088.cms

I can act without taking off my shirt: Shahrukh

12 Sep, 2007, 2013 hrs IST, PTI

MUMBAI: Notwithstanding his six-pack abdomen which is in the limelight, Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan feels he is capable of acting without taking off his shirt.

"In 'Om Shanti Om' I play a hero of today. I felt that everyone in the film world looks cool these days and we went for this look," Khan, who attended a event with tennis star Sania Mirza to promote an upcoming tennis tournament, said.

Khan said he had received praise from fellow actors like Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan for his new look. But Salman had also told him he was looking too thin.

The star said he had great respect for sportspersons and had taken up an exercise regimen after shooting for his recent hit "Chak De India", which centres round the game of hockey.

Asked if he had any regrets about not doing the Oscar- nominated cricket-based movie "Lagaan", Khan said, "After watching the film, I thought only Aamir (Khan) could have done justice to it. However, I did manage to do 'Chak De'."

Khan parried questions on whether there had been renewed interest in hockey following the success of "Chak De India".

"I want to make it clear it is not because of the film that we are doing well in sports. Instead it is because they (sportspersons) are doing well that such movies are made," he said.

With more sports-based movies expected from Bollywood in the near future, this could become a new genre in the film industry, he remarked.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/In dl_Goods__Svs/Packaging/I_can_act_without_taking_off_my_shir t_SRK/articleshow/2363074.cms

'Teamrolling, anyone?

Bal Thackeray sends entire staff of Samna to see Chak De India… and imbibe team spirit

Posted On Friday, September 21, 2007
Kunal M Shah

The Chak De India fever has certainly caught on. Now we hear that Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has asked the entire staff of Samna, the Marathi daily, to watch the film for its inspirational theme of team spirit. They will be watching the show this afternoon at Chitra Cinema.

Rajendra Bhagwat, general manager, Samna confirmed the news, saying, "Yes, this is the first time that the entire staff of the group is going for a movie together. This is being done to encourage team spirit within the staff. Udhav Thackeray is expected to attend the show too. We have booked 350 tickets for our staff, including those working for Marathi and Hindi Samna, and Marmik magazine. Staff across departments are attending - editorial, production and other departments. Team spirit is our main motto and since this is shown in the film, we thought we'll organise this show for everyone."

Obviously, the move has Yashraj Films thrilled. A source from Yashraj Films says, "It is a great honour that someone like Balasaheb has thought that the film is inspirational and wants his staff of the newspaper to watch the film. It is a great move by someone of his stature and we are glad if the film helps them in any way, as the idea is to inspire a maximum number of people."

Dara Mehta, owner of Chitra Cinema says, "Yes, they have booked bulk tickets for the Friday afternoon show, at 3.15 pm."

• "Yes, this is the first time that the entire staff of the group is going for a movie together. This is being done to encourage team spirit within the staff" - Rajendra Bhagwat, General Manager, Samna

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&se ctid=30&contentid=20070921200709210304539376aa8d38e