Chak De India is, what SRK could call, a masterstroke.



Forget the whole patriotism thing it has going for itself, this is a movie that raises the bar for other flicks that try. This is work worthy of praise by the guy who gave us Ab Tak Chappan, and it doesn"t try too hard to be artistic, or mainstream. It"s just there, it"s an honest narrative and it proves a point: a good story when told well can entertain, period, without really the need for bikini-clad sex-Sherawats as fillers.

Kabir Khan (SRK) is the captain of the national hockey side, and oops - he misses a penalty stroke against Pakistan in an all-important final. The media manufacture treason, and Khan is soon under the microscope. Eventually, he"s tagged a traitor, and it"s done oh-so-filmi - chalked on the Khan"s residence - before he leaves in a tearless farewell.

We fast-forward seven years. Khan is back, applying for the God-forsaken post of the women"s hockey team coach. Why? To regain the lost pride, etc. No major motivational speech to rope Khan in, mercifully, as he puts forward his case. The women"s hockey board, of course, have nothing to lose, having little faith in their team"s ability. That leaves Khan and his new beard in the company of sixteen girls from around the country, literally, as he begins his harsh mentorship. Sadly for the girls, this isn"t a coach, it"s an authoritarian, a dictator - King Khan at his stringent best - as he makes them toil hard, both mentally and physically, instilling them with confidence and inspiring them with the pep-talk.

Yes, it does get shaky, but Khan prevails, taking the team into the World Championship, not before they had to play a match against their male counterparts to prove their worth. The World Championship, of course, is the big showdown, as Khan guides them nicely with victory after victory, and in the "bharatiya nari running around in knickers for their win", Kabir Khan tries to win the hearts of people. Again.

Unfortunately for director Shimit Amin, when you do decide on a sports flick, something of this nature, you have to compromise on a lot. The end is all too obvious, and rather predictable, but the journey throughout was more than enjoyable, and that"s where he scores. The final moments of Chak De India actually grip you, although you know the end result at the back of your mind. More than anything, I loved this flick for the honesty - there is no real overdone masala talk, no item tracks, no I"m-going-through-a-depression parallel narratives, absolutely no dilution of the sort. It figures - at just over two and a half hours running time, it"s made an impact. The girls do their bits pretty well, and although not all of them hog the screen, there are a few prominent players, namely Chitrashi Rawat as Komal Chautala, Shilpa Shukla as Bindia Naik and Sagarika Ghatge as Preeti Sabarwal. Did I mention Sagarika"s hot? Nope? Okay, here goes - she is.

But, hello, this is a welcome surprise, a Yash Raj flick with no lover boy Khan? And wow, I mean wow, King Khan can act. Disarmingly so convincing, that even those witty one-liners which ought to have had no place in the script is delivered with such precision. Chak De doesn"t try too hard to remain subtle throughout, and there are flaws and the clichés, but he makes them all believable, and proves yet again why he ought to do more rules like these and Swades.

Oh, and the most important factor that deserves mention, either Khan puts up a real phenomenal act or he really loves hockey, or both - because it shows on-screen. The bloke belongs to the field.

So if you haven"t watched it yet, buck up. Best film around patriotism in theaters this year, and a Bible for Indian film-makers who want to make sportflicks.

*****