A hat-trick of successes for Indian sports, post-Chak De India!

It has been a great two months for Indian sports. For the third time, sports lovers in this country have been treated to, what I call is the Chak De India magic. I call it the Chak De India magic as there has been a resurgence in Indian sports in the two and half months so far after the release of the SRK-starrer on August 10, 2007.

First, the Indian football team created history by lifting the Nehru Cup international football trophy for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Syria in a tough final played in Delhi on August 29, 2007. The victory spurred a resurgence of football in India.

Then came the turn of hockey on September 9, 2007! Amidst a roaring crowd, the Indian hockey team won the Asia Cup after beating South Korea 7-2 in a hard fought final in Chennai. Not just the convincing win, but the Indian hockey team also added another feather to its cap. Its tally of 57 goals in the event became the highest for any team. Truely, a Chak De performance.

Finally, it was the turn of cricket. The Men in Blue rocked the shores of South Africa in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship. India beat Pakistan in the grand finale at Wanderers, Johannesburg, on September 24, 2007 and that too without the presence of its major stars. This day will be remembered in cricketing history.
And, what’s ironical was the presence of the man himself – Shah Rukh Khan – who played the inspirational coach in Chak De India at the Wanderers to cheer the Indian cricket team.

The match winning performances of India’s sporting sensations have taken the nation by storm. The title song of Chak De India has become an anthem of sorts. It has spread magic across all sports in India.

As the adrenaline is running high with India’s successes in sports, it’s time to say Chak De India again and again.

The Don… the country’s national game… and a dash of patriotism… Can’t ask for more

“Play for India first, then play for the team and, finally, if you have any strength left, then play for yourself…”

These words may sound philosophical, but when I heard them for the first time, my instant reaction was WOW! Because it came from none other than Shah Rukh Khan, who plays the coach of the “Indian National Women’s Hockey Team” in the movie Chak De! India.

Chak De… is the story of Kabir Khan, a hockey player, who is labeled a “gaddaar” because he fails to score a crucial goal, costing India the men’s hockey World Cup finals. For seven long years, Kabir has to bear the humiliation and insult. Finally, he gets a chance to prove to the world that he was not a traitor when he is hired to coach the Indian women’s hockey team that needed a coach but had no takers. Kabir fights against all odds and makes the unthinkable happen when the team wins the World Cup, and, in the process, he gets back his lost pride.

Chak De! India is a special film. It is one of best sports films I have ever seen.

The movie highlights, or rather, revives a sport, which is supposedly the national game of our country. It breaks all stereotypes and touches on issues like male chauvinism, racial discrimination, gender bias and lack of unity to name a few. It is one of he most thought-provoking movies I have seen.

Chak De! India is all about hope. It is all about keeping the country first and then your self. It is all about playing together as Team India and not members of individual states. Above all, Chak De! India is about pursuing a dream and believing that it can become a reality.

This is one of Shah Rukh’s most subdued performances till date. He lets his co-stars’ youthful charisma carry the movie, while portraying a character that vigorously and unabashedly advocates the advancement of women.

In short, Shah Rukh, the star, pulled audiences into the theatres and thereafter for the next 150-odd minutes Shah Rukh, the actor, keeps them enthralled.
The performance of the man can be best gauged by one newspaper review that says, “…even if you're a non-SRK fan, you gotta go 'n see him perform. And if you still remain unconvinced, just tell me one actor who would have dared to risk a script, which has no usual bollywood masala. The man knows his job and understands his strength!”

This film is the best I-Day gift for all Indians. It couldn’t have come at a better time than on the eve of the 60th Independence Day of India. The film surely strikes the goal… SPOT ON 10 TIMES OUT OF 10!!!

Chak De! Shah Rukh