The Indian film industry has more often than not been found wanting for movies with good script, good performances and a surreal level of motivation and inspiration blended into the same flick. Shimit Amin's Chak De India does that and in a brilliant and compelling manner. (A stark difference from his earlier film Ab Tak Chappan) Jaideep Sahani's script is close to flawless and never strays from the main theme of the movie, sports. With excellent screenplay, beautiful cinematography and slick editing the movie scores great in all respects. Even the music score blends in nicely with the theme of the movie, so much so that the title track has almost become the country's new sports anthem. The only sad part is that a movie like "Eklavya" was prefered as the Indian entry for the Oscar's over Chak De India.
That brings me to my main purpose or writing this piece, " The Chak De Effect". You could call it inspiration or just plain coincidence, but what Indian sports has experienced since the release of Chak De India is no less than a miracle. Rarely, if ever, has one seen Indian sports or sportsmen/women excel the way they have in a span of 2 months since the film released. It all started with Team India winning a cricket test series in England after 21 years. May be, just may be, it was the film that provided them the inspiration to cross that final hurdle and make the country proud again. The effect moved on from cricket to football, where no one gave the Indian team a hint of a chance to win the Nehru cup. For a team that has never won the cup the achievement was all the more special.
The effect then came back to the sport the movie was actually based upon, hockey, but this time the heroes were the male counterparts. The Indian National men's hockey team lifted the Asia Cup by beating South Korea 7-2 to finally give hockey lovers in "the land of Dhyanchand" something to cheer about after a troubled couple of years. Although the women's hockey team did not achieve the same feat in their version of the tournament, they did manage a respectable semi-final spot. The victory in hockey was followed by the Indian cricket team winning the T20 world championship in South Africa which was significant not only because of its huge popularity but because we beat a team in the finals with whom we have always been at "war". With Vishwanathan Anand becoming the world's undisputed chess champion again this year after his heroics of 2000, the effect may have touched another sport. (though it is unlikely in this case)
These sportsmen, sportswomen, coaches or teams have never lacked the ability or the skills but at times have lacked the motivation, zest and the never-say-die spirit that have kept them from achieving what they truly deserve. We can only hope that Indian sports continues to take courage from such inspired performances and guns for greater glory in the days to come. All in all what the Chak De Effect teachs is to put one's differences away and inspire individuals to unite for a common cause, be it sports or any other walk of life.
That brings me to my main purpose or writing this piece, " The Chak De Effect". You could call it inspiration or just plain coincidence, but what Indian sports has experienced since the release of Chak De India is no less than a miracle. Rarely, if ever, has one seen Indian sports or sportsmen/women excel the way they have in a span of 2 months since the film released. It all started with Team India winning a cricket test series in England after 21 years. May be, just may be, it was the film that provided them the inspiration to cross that final hurdle and make the country proud again. The effect moved on from cricket to football, where no one gave the Indian team a hint of a chance to win the Nehru cup. For a team that has never won the cup the achievement was all the more special.
The effect then came back to the sport the movie was actually based upon, hockey, but this time the heroes were the male counterparts. The Indian National men's hockey team lifted the Asia Cup by beating South Korea 7-2 to finally give hockey lovers in "the land of Dhyanchand" something to cheer about after a troubled couple of years. Although the women's hockey team did not achieve the same feat in their version of the tournament, they did manage a respectable semi-final spot. The victory in hockey was followed by the Indian cricket team winning the T20 world championship in South Africa which was significant not only because of its huge popularity but because we beat a team in the finals with whom we have always been at "war". With Vishwanathan Anand becoming the world's undisputed chess champion again this year after his heroics of 2000, the effect may have touched another sport. (though it is unlikely in this case)
These sportsmen, sportswomen, coaches or teams have never lacked the ability or the skills but at times have lacked the motivation, zest and the never-say-die spirit that have kept them from achieving what they truly deserve. We can only hope that Indian sports continues to take courage from such inspired performances and guns for greater glory in the days to come. All in all what the Chak De Effect teachs is to put one's differences away and inspire individuals to unite for a common cause, be it sports or any other walk of life.
