In a country with such a diverse landscape, the only two areas, where diversity doesn't cast its debilitating shadow, if one can discount the times of disasters, are, armed forces and group sports. Both these areas strive for one thing, and one thing alone, at all costs - victory. In both these arenas, the constant strife for excellence, dwarfs the obvious differences and glaring irregularities of everyday life. They accept the big elephant in the room, the cultural chasm, and move on to bigger and better things, than get bogged down tangled up in the trivialities. And this is just with the cultural divide. Throw in religion into the mix, and it adds even more complexity to the already muddled issue of diversity. As an example, it is an accepted fact that Wasim Akram is probably the greatest left arm fast bowler that ever graced the field. Imagine the same fact blurted out in a nonchalant way by a Hindu and it goes largely unnoticed. Now, if the same fact is reiterated by a Muslim, living in India, it suddenly brings up issues like allegiance and patriotism to the fore. A country that is faith-blind when it comes to supporting sides (again, the only two that enjoy such universal unequivocal patronage - military & sports), suddenly finds itself asking questions about loyalty, when it comes to individuals within those selected groups. A country would gladly embrace a Muslim captain, but when one of its own Muslim citizens starts talking about the talent on the other side of the fence, eyebrows rise and looks are exchanged. The double-standard that exists on the outside, thankfully, hasn't crept into the above said institutions yet, for the only reason that the inherent discipline in both these structures refuse to give away, even in the face of trying conditions. Discipline wipes away the fine lines that separate classes, bridges the deep gorges that divide cultures, and instill a value of brotherhood, a sense of pride and a constant drive for accomplishment. And in effect, Chak De India is all about inculcating discipline in a diverse mob. Though individual brilliances are always celebrated in such group atmospheres, the emphasis is more on the means than on the ends.
Diversity in Hindi films has always been very Utopian. Whenever a Ramu Kaka gets into trouble, there is always a Qadir miya from the neighborhood, or a Baljeet bhai who seems to be passing by, coming to Kaka's side and aid, in a way that fit the grander scheme of national integration. Only a few, a very minor few, chose to depict the reality of the Indian society without smoothening out around the edges - Tamas, Earth, and the recent Black Friday - for the sole reason that the average audience is uncomfortable to confront his prejudices and shatter his stereotypical mindset. While the above movies try to ask the serious questions in a confrontational way, a slightly palatable way to pose those same questions is what is attempted in Chak De, in what is considered to be a sacred arena - sports. Get a huge production house, known for its dreamy, escapist entertainment fares, to have a change of heart, hire the right technicians to back up a story that is devoid of any candy-floss and glossy finishes, give complete creative freedom and the right to reserve the final judgments to the maker, and importantly, not bother about the commercial viability of such a venture - the result is Chak De India, the first movie that Yash Raj Productions could feel proud about (returning the company to the roots and the visions of its founder, Yash Chopra, the maker of many off-beat, artistic, serious fares such as Lamhe, Silsila, Kabhie Kabhie, Kala Patthar, Trishul to name a few). Terming Chak De as just as sports movie does gross injustice to what it was aiming for - a social experiment aimed at making diversity work for the advancement of a cause, an inspired way to instill discipline to tackle the task at hand. Just like how "Sarfarosh", a few years ago, became the first movie to name names involved in cross-border terrorism, Chak De is certainly the first Indian movie to depict the many facets of diversity in an honest, sincere and realistic way.
In India, hockey has been added to the list of the items about the glorious past to gloat about, probably next to the mighty Mughal Empire and Sepoy Mutiny. With lack of patronage, and consequently, lack of sponsorship, the sport has completely lost its sheen, and the only time it attracts any attention (and that too, for all the wrong reasons) is when the opponent is Pakistan. With such a lackluster sport as the backdrop, and upping the ante even further by siding with the women's side of the sport, India's chances of becoming an economic and military superpower overnight might sound a credible statement next to proclamation that the fictional women's hockey team in going to win the World Cup. Making the impossible possible has always been the mission statement of movies, but to do so without compromising on conventional wisdom and basic logic, makes Chak De a unique production, that does not pander for easy cheers and quick claps. In its constant comparison to cricket, that has all the eyes and ears of the nation in terms of popularity, money and importantly, acceptance, the movie paints a very grim portrait of the only sport that is still considered as the "national" sport, despite the support and the encouragement it has received from the government. The movie deserves a sound round of applause for the way the hockey matches are staged. The hand-held camera constantly creating an effect of kinetic confusion only to be cleared out by expert editing, takes the games to near-realistic heights, a feat quite difficult in sports involving constant movement. Above all Shah Rukh Khan brings not only the star power to drag the audiences into the theater, but also the credibility, a certain gravitas to the role, helped by the fact that he, a Muslim, can understand and emote quite well what a fellow Muslim sportsman goes through, catching a raw deal at the admiration table, in real life situations. It does not pull any punches, it gives all it has got, and in doing so Chak De races all the way to the goal post, rarely fumbling or stumbling. Now, if only, the makers hired that Spanish commentator who cries out GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAL!
Dino who's about to be seen in a clutch of movies including Ananth Mahadevan's Anamika, Pavan Kaul's Brahm and Apoorva Lakhia's short-film Sex On The Beach, is now finally entering a new phase in his career.
During the last one month Rituparno Ghosh has been in and out of Mumbai dubbing for his first English-language film The Last Lear.
Although not box-office hits, "Excuse Me" and "Style" left most in the audience and in Bollywood impressed with Sahil Khan's physique. After staying away from tinsel town for almost two years, the actor is finally ready to make a fresh start.
Although it's still doubtful whether one of our Bollywood beauties will land a role in a Bond film, a Bond girl has already been roped in for a Hindi film. Caterina Murino, who played the sexy seductress Solange in Casino Royale will star in director Anubhav Sinha's next venture Chase.
Prashant Raj who plays the role that Amitabh Bachchan did in Sholay had a tough time getting used to the idea of having THE Sushmita Sen as his co-star in Ram Gopal Varma's Sholay.
They call her 'Pari' in the Bachchan household - a nickname given to Ash by mom-in-law Jaya. And now we hear that our beloved Pari and Bachchan junior are on their way to becoming parents.
Q: Where do you mostly shop from?
Q: Which perfume do you like the most?
Anupam Kher will soon be making a film based on events in his own life. The actor-producer's new protégée Neeraj Pandey who's also scripting Anupam's second directorial venture Dosti Badi Cheez Hai is working out the modalities of making the actor's eventful journey from Simla to Bollywood into a movie featuring Anupam in lead. This would be a rare Indian film where the protagonist would star in his own story.
Vishal Bhardwaj is all set to compose music for Mira Nair’s much talked about film Shantaram. On his 42nd birthday Mira Nair offered him to compose for Shantaram.
Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor had the worst experience of their life in Ladakh where the two are whooting for Yash Raj Films' Tashan. The duo had to face the frenzy of their fans but both the stars were unhurt however their bodyguards ended up bruised.
Rehan Khan, who owes the upswing in his career to the Bhatts, is looking at good times ahead. After an unsung debut in Jaana - Let's Fall In Love followed by a miniscule but important role in Emran Hashmi starrer Awarapan, he is playing a parallel lead in Sangeeth Sivan's next film Click.
Isn't he disappointed by the fact that Awarapan didn't quite use his full potential? "On the contrary I am tremendously elated by the fact that Bhatts gave me a new lease of life with Awarapan", he shoots back, "I could have been completely out of circulation had Mahesh Bhatt not shown trust in him. He kept his hand on my shoulders and said - 'Rehan, you have to die to be reborn'. It was such a meaningful statement to be made."
Actor Sunil Shetty is all set to give life to his new interest and that is, retail business. Taking some time out of his busy schedule, he will be introducing Brand Bollywood to the stores. Actor turned entrepreneur will be opening a chain of stores having salon, run by hairdressers in Bollywood, coffee shop, artefacts and some cloth brands like 109F as well.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will unveil her new wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Times Square, New York. She already has a wax statue at Madame Tussauds in London which was created before her marriage, while her new statue will have her post marriage bridal look.
Renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who created his niche in film faternity, with some wonderful films to his name, has been honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. This award didn’t come as a surprise to Benegal as he had been expecting it since a year now. But nevertheless, the award has been a tribute to all his hard work all these years.
Om Shanti Om directed by Farah Khan under Shah Rukh’s banner, Red Chillies Entertainment, is the most awaited film of the year. And what adds on to the excitement is that SRK’s wife Gauri Khan will also be seen in the film.
Writer-Director Anurag Kashyap is all set to give another shot to his acting career with his appearance in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Shagird, starring Nana Patekar and Mohit Ahlawat. He plays a role of a gangster in the film and is already done with three-day shoot in Mumbai.
Saif has just completed a grueling schedule of Yashraj Films' Tashan in Ladakh. He returns to stories in Mumbai about getting into a 'scuffle' over Kareena with rowdy fans in Ladakh.
The National awards seem extraordinarily Alzheimer-friendly this year. Two portrayals of that terrible disease of memory loss by Amitabh Bachchan in Black and Anupam Kher in Maine Gandhi No Nahin Mara got lavish recognition.
Casting of Golmaal Returns continues to get interesting with every passing week. After Kareena Kapoor, the second lady to be signed for the laughaton is none other than Anjana Sukhani. A popular face in the advertisement world, she has been making steady progress in Bollywood with her small but significant part in Salaam E Ishq garnering good appreciation.
What else is she doing apart from facing the camera? One learnt that she was also concentrating hard on her dancing skills. Says a chirpy Anjana, "You heard it right. I have just enrolled myself to a 7 year Kathak course. To think of it, I will be back to my exam days again. The course requires an yearly exam. Nevertheless I am happy about it. Moreover, I am looking for a 7-10 days break when I could learn some hip/hop too. I also love to play guitar; let's see when do I get time to explore it further."
After her appearance on Koffee with Karan, Rakhi is fast shedding her image of a crass silicone propped item girl and emerging as a main stream Bollywood actress.
The posers thrown at Hannsikkaa Motwani in the talk show Santa and Banta Unlimited on channel Zoom were stinging enough. Did you take hormonal injections to grow up suddenly?
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday said he was not part of any signature campaign to "save" jailed actor Sanjay Dutt, saying "we understand that the law will take its own course."
Mallika Sherawat is all set to replace Zeenat Aman in Feroz Khan’s Qurbani remake.
Qualities you look for in your man?
Would you like him dictating you what you should wear and what not?
