A highly spirited thrilling ride.

Rating: 9/10 (29 August 2008)

"The next 70 minutes are yours. Not even God can take it away from you. Go get them". As Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) gives the speech to its hockey team, you feel the moment with him. As if you are standing in that locker room and you are going to play that hockey match with the rest of the crew. This feeling will follow you on a fantastic ride called as Chak De-India. This is not a story of champions. This is not a story of freedom. This is not a story of strength to win. This is not a story of extraordinary people who fight against out numbered enemies. But this is a story of gaining high spirits among individuals who come together and achieve something they never knew how to.
Kabir Khan is a newly appointed coach of Indian women's hockey team who are preparing themselves for upcoming World Cup championship. The hurdles for the coach are not just to bring the team together and train and teach what they exactly need to, but also to answer to the criticism from his fans about his missed stroke when he played in Men's hockey finals. Not to mention his fight against himself about that lost game. As the team is introduced at the signup desk, the women from every corner of India make you laugh and curious. They can be wearing a bully's attitude, I-am-so-hot attitude or just plain simple girls lived under the shadow of the family. But they have one thing in common. The passion and talent for the game. They can make friends or enemies among themselves, even though they are in the same team, but the journey ahead towards the final glory is extraordinary.
There was a movie. Ab Tak Chhappan, (2004) that shook so many audiences and critics. Shimit Amin, the same director, now handled Chak De, and surprisingly his knife feels as sharp as his last cut in 2004. The whole tone and attitude of excitement, pain, zyst and glory is so unbelievable that it feels as if Bollywood is waking up and breathing. The expressions on each player's face are captured magnificently and straight to the core. Jaideep Sahani, the writer who previously wrote Ram Gopal Verma's gangster thriller Company (2002) does a memorable comeback with Chak De. I mean the MacDonald's scene, the coach's speech, the final goal and the diligence of keeping away from any cheesy dialogues just makes me say one word. WOW!Thank You Aditya Chopra for bringing this team together.
Now definitely Shah Rukh Khan has to be mentioned here. He is not the usual, mindless college boy who whines over some troubled relationships just to shake those faint hearted who worship him. He is a tough and determined hockey player who knows what he is talking about. With a rough stubble and Ray Ban aviator sunglasses he makes his appearance felt. No clichés, just passion.
Well, the hockey team is rather something to watch, than to read right here. So just go ahead and walk in to this locker room and listen to the coach and chat with these passionate women.
My rating: 9/10.