Chak De much better than TRRP and JBJ!

SPORTS IS a religion in India. When sports-person fail, they invite the ire of people (ask the Indian cricketers). Yet films made on sports are very scarce. The only two films that made a mark (and money) are – Hip Hip Hurray (in early 80's) and Lagaan (2001). Though this year saw a modest success Apne; but it was more of a family drama rather than a movie on sports.

Directed by Shimit Amin, Chak De steers clear of his debut feature Ab Tak Chappan, as instead of the murky cop-underworld game; Chak De deals with dreary hockey game.

Why hockey?

For hockey is the national sport of India. Is Gen X (read cricket) aware of it?

So we have Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) desperately trying to wash off the infamy brought to him by his now showing (read scoring goal) at the crucial Indo-Pak final at the world cup (hockey, silly! and not cricket).

Branded a traitor (thanks to the media) owing to his friendship (no gay undertones over here) with paki-captain, he is forced to leave his mohalla in saddi dilli.

Cut to seven years later.

At a meeting of hockey association (that's what the film tries to establish) headed by Mr. Nincompoop err… Tripathi (Anjan Srivastava) – BCCI officials look oh so dapper, henceforth; talks are on to send a women's hockey team to the world cup (aren't there any qualifying rounds and the other formalities!)

Who will coach them? (question ek crore ka)

Yes, Kabir Khan.

And so we have Kabir Khan coaching a rookie oops hockey team of sixteen girls from every nook and corner of India. (guess, subtext of the film wanted to hit on national integration, sharing and accommodating people with famed Indian bhai-chaara)

Needless to say, in the climax after getting a drubbing in the opening league match from Australia; Indians drub the kangaroos in the finale.

Shimit Amin is firmly saddled in director's seat, after a tentative start with Ab Tak Chappan. He has brilliantly executed girl bonding on-screen.

Shahrukh Khan, after the flops in Swades and Paheli and a pale show of Don (with an equally panned performance) is back and does a decent job of an angst-ridden, yet rational hockey coach.

However, it is not him, but team girls who are the real hero(s) of the film. Four girls, out of the pack of sixteen, who stand out and shine, are:

Komal Chautala: A true antonym to her name, she hails from Haryana. She is Ms. Spitfire contrary to her diminutive structure. Playing forward she shoots the ball straight into the opponent's goal.

Preeti Sabharwal: Captain of Chandigarh team. She, as Komal describes her, is gori mem. A typical punju girl, she is sophisticated, plays forward and is conflicting both in temperament and attitude to Komal.

Bindiya Naik: A 'senior' player. She is the antagonist to Sharukh's protagonist. Never to be reined in by Shahrukh. It is Shahrukh who has to extend an olive branch (read bend down) to get her to play Korea in the pre-climax.

Ms. Kaur: Oops most of the audiences missed her first name, probable reason being, this punjabi mundi was an instant hit with the audiences. More so, after her 'rustic' match with team Argentina.

Apart from fantastic four, the rest of the girls pale down, owing to limited scope in the script. Even the goalee and captain, Vidya Sharma played by Vidya Malwade fails to match them.

The script tries to pack in populist commercial gags, at the same time trying to stay away from any controversy:

• Himbo attitude of a young cricketer, Abhimanyu Singh (Yuvraj Singh, eh!) fianc of Preeti.

• Win of men's team against women's. Probably makers' didn't want to offend

Hockey Federation of India (or is it Association?)

Watch this one, if only for the Indian girls high on pink power.