ONE MINUTE twenty four seconds to go. India v/s Pakistan Hockey match. With Pakistan leading the game by 1-0. The crowd cheers on. Utham Singh takes the ball. Passes on to Captain Kabir Khan. Kabir dribbles towards the goal. Dribbles past goal keeper. Forty-four seconds to go. He lifts his hockey stick to strike for the one and last goal. India desperate for goal. This is goal for sure. But Captain Kabir fell down being tackled from behind. The refree blew the whistle in favour of India. India got penalty chance.
The clock ticks on. Only seconds left. 15... 14.. 13.. Pin drop silence. Captain kabir takes the shot. It was a repetition of the David Beckham's Euro penalty miss. The ball flew way above the goal. Extra high skills!. This is how Shah Rukh Khan, SRK the king of Bollywood portrayed the pathetic Indian Hockey team as Captain Kabir Khan. After the penalty, Kabir with the Muslim name Khan was accused as a traitor for helping the Muslim-Pakistani players win the match by not scoring the lone goal. He came back after seven years with much consideration to coach the Pathetic Under Dog Indian Hockey to lead the team to victory in the Hockey world cup. "Sometimes winning is everything". With this theme this Yash Raj film Chak de is not just another poster in the wall. Its not just another movie in the multiplex either.
The film has lots of Messages in it. Unlike the other typical Bollywood movie where the actor and actress dances around, smooching each other with just half a inch or so away from a kiss. Songs and some group dancings coming out of nowhere with no relation at all with the storyline of the film. Infact, Chak de is in the simplest term another break through for shedding all the dance items. One striking feature of the film is the inclusion the North-easterners in the film. But it is ironical to start the appearance of the two girls with an eve teasing scene. Whether it is desired or not desired, Believe it or not that is just a tip of the Ice-berg. I can somehow recall the dialoque of the two eve teasers.
"Chocolate-butter-scotch-vanilla Ice-cream kaha se ban gayi?"
"Kahi se night club jana ho ga? Galti se ish taraf mur gayi hoga?"
It was sad! to actually think that they went to the wrong place. Regarding the two promising young hockey players as taking the wrong direction for going to a night club. It is un imaginable. But the courage portrayed in this situation that the young lovely lady approach the roadside and give him a "SLAP!" Chak de!
Heres another woeful dialoque. Let me try my best on the translation.
"Molly Zimik-Manipur, Mary Ralte-Mizoram, areh wah! Players from even the farthest corners of India also came! You are our guest.
I am glad!! Welcome!!!!!"
Silence follows. No response. The two girls gazes the guy on the registration desk.
"Kya hua?..... Khush nahi ho?"
I love this line. The reply given to the above question. Her courage.
"Aap apne desh mein meheman ban kar khush raheng ge?"
An english equivalence may be: "How can I be happy If I am regarded as a guest in my own country" Chak de, DEAR. Thats the need of the moment. The courage. And thats exactly what has happened and what is happening and what will be happening in real life. Not just in this screen. With these scripts, it is not unexpected that Jaideep Sahni's script has found a niche in Beverly Hills library to be made available for students, filmmakers, journalists and researchers.
It is ironical that the north-easterners were regarded as a guest in one's own country. How can somebody welcomes you as a guest in your own home!??
An excerpt from the movie about the two girls from north east: The talented duo from the North East. Their school books taught them that they are Indians but Indians taught them otherwise. The only reason they play for the national team is that it is the only team they can play for. They would love to belong but not the team that calls them 'foreign', and definitely not the people that call them 'loose'. So they stick together and play for the love of the game and the honour of their people.
It is wonderful how Masochon V. Zimik as Molly Zimik and Kimi Laldawla as Mary Ralte portrayed the true patriotic spirit of the North-easterners. The movie has created a new dimension in this regard. No one can be regarded as a foreigner in one's own country. Let the Bollywood screen speak out loud and bring out an awareness to the citizen of India. Chak de, India. Praise goes to the talented Duo. And it is part of the question that whether we have the courage to speak out against such oppressions and show off the true patriotic feelings. Though sometimes its hard to have such when the environment does not support. When One is a guest in ones own home. When one is a foreigner in ones own country. It reminds me of the Israelites when they lament that how can they sing a song of Zion in foreign land. Like wise, Is it the need of the hour that we have to move to the country where we belong. Which country? is the immediate question. Lets pray that someday, by some how and by some means the sun will some how rise and,
"We will be in our own home;
We will be ourselves in our own country"
Neither a guest nor a foreigner any longer.
When can we say " Chak de, India!"
CHAK DE, NORTH-EASTERNERS.
[lyanaz.blogspot.com]
