Chak De India

Director: Shimit Amin
Producer: Aditya Chopra, Yash Chopra
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade
Music: Salim Suleiman

This is generally said that a sports film doesn't fare well in Indian Cinema. However, the cine goers have proved it wrong. They cite the example of 'Hip Hip Hurray' that did well even though the people were not so fascinated by the football scenario. Similarly, ' Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar' did marvelous business, even though it was based on common man's vehicle game - cycling.
Then came 'Lagaan' and it changed the scenario for Indian cinema forever. So, the directors are happy that they can tell the stories that are close to their heart though the producers may not be ready to bet on them.
If Aamir Khan put in his own money for 'Lagaan', not many actors could support this new wave of Indian cinema. Aamir got cocooned in his own shell and despite his efforts to bring in more and more different films like 'Mangal Pandey', his efforts are yet to make an impact. Salman Khan hasn't ever ventured into such a thing; he was and is still busy doing run-of-the-mill stories lifted from Hollywood.
And, then the people look at Shah Rukh Khan. He has been the silver lining for the viewers but alas they are fed up with watching masala cinema time and again. However, he faltered in 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna'.
Now, he returns to Big Screen after 10 months with a film that is hyped as the next big patriotic film - 'Chak De India'. 'Chak De India' releases just five days ahead of 60th year of India's independence.
But all the fizz looks like settling down even before the celebrations could actually begin. Will 'Chak De India' complete the hat trick of flops for Yash Raj Films, after 'Namaste London' and 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' failing to live up to their expectations?
Time is very tough for the biggest banner of Indian Cinema, Yash Raj Films. In a Global Village scenario where competition is growing day by day, it makes sense to create new models year after year to see the growth going on. Every company creates a new model for its product almost every year and it has become the fashion of the day.
So, how long can people tolerate the same actor again and again. The alarm bell had rung in 'Don' for Shah Rukh but he didn't notice. Then, the people gave him a kind of show cause Notice in 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', but he didn't bother at Yellow Card. After all, he has always been playing centre forward. Hence the people who made him The King Khan, seem to be ready with a Red Card?
'Chak De India' has been rejected by the masses in a country where stars are made every Friday. A forty percent opening for the first day's first show for a Shah Rukh Khan film is indeed a setback for the industry in general and for Yash Raj Films, in particular.
Jaideep Sahni may feel being on the top as the creative head of YRF, but he needs to peep back to the days when he conceived ' Khosla Ka Ghosla' or 'Company'. It's his moral responsibility to take brickbats for this film as it's his baby. Shimit Amin, who moved over from Ram Gopal Varma's factory to join YRF, may not be a happy man either.
He gets to direct Shah Rukh but his film doesn't even get a good opening. Keeping in view that film business is decided now on the basis of its first three days, even word of mouth publicity will not help much to save it. If it does, it's good for everyone.
'Chak De India' falters at many points. To start with, its music fails to generate any kind of curiosity among masses. But I can not blame Salim Suleiman for it because they got to compose the music once the movie was over ; whatever they could do they have done on the edit table. The film then fails on story line, too. To make a film on Hockey Coach is not a good and saleable idea for Indian film industry.
Hockey may be our national game but seeing the poor performance of the hockey team, Indian government has put the game in general game category recently. There are no emotions attached to this game now as far as the masses are concerned. We wonder if anybody even remembers now as to when was it the last when Team India won the Gold for the nation.
'Chak De India' is said to have been made on real life story. It shows a man challenging his destiny. He does this for his personal satisfaction, though the makers publicize it for the nation. The story line breaks itself. Kabir Khan's (Shah Rukh Khan) character is such that the people have seen plenty of times on screen.
If Om Puri did this in 'Disco Dancer', Danny did it in 'Boxer'. Making underdogs work like champions have been told on screen umpteen times. And, in 'Chak De India' the underdogs are not the known names.
Though Shimit has taken girls from almost every part of India to give it an all India look, he has failed in executing the idea and gone overboard some times. What happened for Abhishek in 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom', has repeated for Shah Rukh in 'Chak De India'.
Had he taken some lessons from 'Swades', SRK would have moved miles ahead. But, the film is not that bad, any way. It can be watched and enjoyed at your leisure. But, the people get leisure at home these days and wait for the movies like this to come on some TV channels soon.