ChakDe India di kahani, Sandy nal zubani

Another movie and dil kahe, logo ko yeh movie dekhni chahiye… and I sit down to write the review to give you that extra push to go and watch it.. The movie is "ChakDe India". "Is it Good?" you may ask.. And the answer is NO.. Its not just Good, Its great. Its fantastic…There was not a well-made patriotic film for a long time now.. And "Chakde" is like that breath of fresh air...

The casting is just right.. Shah Rukh assume centre-stage yet again and this time does not cry and bore us.. He gives a good performance.. He has lots of girls for company.. 16 of them.. and I believe not all are actresses, but the way the director has extracted performance from them is really awesome.. That’s the greatest of this director.. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the bollywood like Ram Gopal Varma….. He had given us "Ab Tak chappan" and now Shimit Amin, gives us "ChakDe India"……

The film is patriotic but not in the sense that it is based on any war .. But actually the storyline's main element is a game. Our National game. Hockey..

The film is fast.. Story is to the point.. Editing is crisp and like any other RGV film, RGV's student has not inserted any songs. The songs run in the background..but is essential.. And it brings out the patriotic spirit in the viewer....The film tries to bring out the reality..No glamour here.. Even the girls do not wear any makeup.. Rightly so, they are players, not beauty pageant contestants…

The movies brings out the bitter truth as to how Cricket is glamorized and our national game, Hockey lies uncared for.. It goes deeper to show how a sport having a women's team is considered not so important by the sports officials, to invest time and money.. The film takes potshots at the sports officials who care less for the sport and more about themselves..The film also takes potshots at cricket too.

The 16 ladies of the Indian National Hockey team have lots of things going against them.. Trust of sports officials, help from sponsors, internal team clashes, support from family and close ones..These 16 ladies have to beat all odds and bring home the Hockey World Cup… and there is one man who takes up the challenge to help them do this.. Kabir Khan.. India's once-most-famous centre forward and captain of Indian National Hockey team. A person who is passionate about his sport and willing to give his everything to it…ShahRukh does well..

The film is sprinkled with humour and you will enjoy it. Watch out for the pocket-sized Haryanvi gal.. You will enjoy watching her..

The film brings out the reality that how media, sometimes just for the sake of creating news, distorts truth and corrupts mind of the people. How the media, in one instance lifts a person to the cloud 9 and in another instance dumps the person into the depths of hell…how much can we trust and believe today's media.. Something to ponder about…

The film shows the living condition of an Indian sportsman.. He/she could be associated with any sport, apart from cricket.. Kabir Khan is India's famous centre-forward.. He is the captain of the Indian National Hockey Team, but he still lives in a simple house in normal lower-middle class colony… The captain of the national team does not own any car.. He drives a scooter..the facilities which the women's hockey team gets is not great either.. Their refreshment rooms resemble ill maintained government sulabhs…and their rooms - prison cells.. With all these hardships when our team enters any competitions and loses, then are the players the only people responsible for the loss.. Maybe we will care of think of it, next time…

Learnings: Well there would be lots.. I found a few.. The more observant will find more..
The main thing which the film puts across is that, anything done with passion, interest, dedication and sincerity, reaps rewards.. And when we do any job with these feelings there is nothing that is impossible..

During the match the junior girls refer to the seniors as "Didi", when they call for a pass..The cries of "Didi.. Didi" fill the ground and this leads the confused opposition coach to exclaim "Who exactly is this Didi!!!!".. Is there any other country in this world where team mates refer to each other as brothers or sisters?? I doubt it.. Here we can proudly say.. This happens only in India.. Now that’s the culture we can be proud of.. The Indian culture which was brought to the world by the great Vivekanand in the Chicago Conference.. And we still have it in us…

Another scene which would make you sit up and smile is when the Indian team is invited to the Tournament Dinner.. The ladies enter one by one, with folded hands, greeting namaste, dressed in the tricolour sari, and a smile on their face.. Hey Bharatiya Nari.. Now you rock!!!!

One other scene has the team unite against the eve-teasers.. The girls bash up the boys.. This just goes to show, unity is strength.. And if the "RIGHT" is on your side you have "EVERYTHING" on your side..

On the whole "ChakDe India" is a wonderful film.. Go ahead, make your day more pleasant…

Rush Hour 3 kahani, Sandy ki zubani

Hello!!

Its a holiday and one of the best ways to enjoy for me, is to go for a movie with friends. Right now from the current set movies which have hit the theater it was easy choice. Jackie Chan is in town, so whats better than giving him a visit? and the answer is "Nothing better" :) Jackie Chan teams up with the fast talking Chris Tucker for the 3rd time to give us Rush Hour 3.

So the important question: So how is Rush Hour 3?
"Well it is a Jackie Chan film". This sentence, 90% of the times means, a 'paisa vasool movie'.
The movie is fast. Very fast. It has great action sequences, great stunts by "Shan-e-Hong Kong" Jackie Chan and lots of great comic moments from "Barbade-E-Saayuk-Rastr" Chris Tucker. :) There is loads and loads of fun. Great comedy .. you will wonder if you have come to see and action film or a comedy film. But trust me you would not be in your seat to complain.. You would be off it.... laughing..
Thoda zyada ho gaya kya?? anyways.. my point is you will enjoy.. Trust me...
Chris Tucker's comic timing is amazing.. Jackie never had a better partner than him...

Rush Hour 3 has Jackie and Chris Tucker going to Paris to uncover some sinister and secret international underworld. The plot could get a bit confusing.... But it does not matter a bit. Not to worry even if you could not understand the plot fully... Its a "Visual See plus plus" film(program).. Just "see" the "visuals" and enjoy... Seeing Jackie doing such great stunts at his age you will agree that this man is truely an amazing fellow... He was asked at one of the interviews that how does he manage to do it.."Its the love of the people which motivates me to do it", Jackie replies in his Chinese accent.. and No one can do it better than you, Jackie..I have been watching Jackie Chan movies from the time I was in primary school .. Film such as "Snake in the Eagle's shadow" and "Drunken Master".. which were Chinese films dubbed in English.. but those movies had the same flavor as you can see in Rush Hour 3. Action is beautifully interlaced with humor..This is what makes Jackie's films stand out.. This is what is Jackie's trademark which reflects his personality so perfectly..and when films like these come.. people flock to see the master in action...

One of the thing which struck me when the movie ended was NOT one person got up to leave.... Every one waited for the goof-up sequences during the making of the Rush Hour 3. This is one more of Jackie's trademark. This has continued from his early films like Armour of God, Police story or maybe earlier..

Learnings: Frankly, I was laughing so hard that I could not take home much, apart from memories of me laughing uncontrollably and lots of cool stunts.. But maybe you would notice more.. however one thing struck me and it struck me hard..
Jackie has someone close who has ended up on the wrong side of the law. The outlaw is filled with hate and repeatedly tries to kill Jackie with cunningness and deceit. But still Jackie always tries not to hurt him and always tries to save his life ... even if it means putting his own life in danger.. Such feelings for someone who tries to take your life!!!! This should be love in its purest form.... unconditional love.. how many people do we have such kind of feeling for?? Do we even have such feelings of members of our family?? Such questions are trivial but worth asking ourselves...
Funny eh? how an action-comedy film can lead to think in this direction...
But hey, its not any film... It is a Jackie Chan film...

Bottom-Line:
So if you are in mood for some entertainment.. remember "Hong Kong-da-puttar" and "Amrika-da-6-footer" are in town.. and its worth paying them a visit...

Have a nice day
Sandeep
(Keep Smiling)