A film with chutzpah

Chak de

 I watched this film   this week and truly enjoyed it. It may be that I enjoyed it because it is about games and I am a sports positive person. It may be because it is “all about loving the game and the country…” (A la K Jo). I can’t say I am crazy about king Khan either.

I do like him. The film is all of the above but it has something else that captured our interest.

An extra zing of believing in the underdog, a spice of rooting for the spirited, a dash of triumph of the under-rated, an essence of “we shall overcome..’-the film has these too. V and I roared with laughter at times and sat at the edge of the chair at times, clapped and cheered at other times. The whole theatre was reverberating with joy and cheering. It was as if one was witnessing a match, it s run-up and its post victory celebrations.

The scene where the Indian girls enter the banquet hall in the pre-final   reception was one I can’t forget. The girls come in dressed in beautiful   , traditional off-white saris compared to the Aussies in black cocktail dresses. The entire theatre applauded (and this happened in a Goan theatre where a person wearing Western clothes is common!) I was getting goose bumps. I was touched by the gesture-both on screen and off screen.

The redemption of Kabir Khan, his return to his ancestral house is shown very well. I enjoyed every minute of the movie. I watched it on the day after the sixtieth Independence Day. So it was extra special I guess.  The game of Hockey will certainly receive a boost if this film is shown to the powers that hold the reigns of the country’s sports bodies .I am sure more kids will view Hockey in a different light after seeing this movie.

I fervently hope we will get more sponsors for this wonderful game. Let us bring back the golden glory of Hockey wins to our country.