While watching this movie, I too go caught up in the story and the fantasy of India winning the Women's Hockey World Cup (!). But as the movie ended my brain started screaming 'wake up!'
The girls are cute and the casting was done really well. A mainstream movie, for once, highlights real life issues like the hypocrisy of people, the segregation based on States and the problems faced by people from the North-East. It tries to show achievement of great things by a diverse group of people. Addresses the neglect of all sports in India except Cricket especially the women's teams.
But most of the issues seem to be inserted for the heck of it. One doesn't see or hear of them ever again (for example women in sports and the problems faced by people from North-East). These seem to be inserted to appeal to the people and to try and ground this movie in reality.
They also used some real hockey players (State and National Teams) in this movie. Komal Chautala is a state and national level player (real name: Chitrashi Rawat). But no where in the movie do they acknowledge the fact. Many people I am sure would have been un-aware of this fact. They could have shown it along with the titles.
The movies tries to be about overcoming odds and success over difficult circumstances/fighting the system. But in the end it is about Shah-rukh Khan getting his respect back. The movie ends and begins with Shah-rukh Khan. After winning the 'Women's World Cup' the last we see of the Indian team is their arrival at the airport! We don't even see how their families react or what happens to their problems!
The movie also zips through certain places without actually making any sense. For example the issue with 'man to man marking' seems to have been added in just to allow the girl with the ego to re-enter the team. The entire scene is just about 1min 10sec long and the main tactic for beating man-to-man marking seems to be few hand signals.
As a friend pointed out, the real players are overshadowed by the professional actors who were cast for the role. Furthermore all the major roles have gone to professional actors.
To conclude this, I think this movie tried to show everything. The scope was just too big. There have been many successful 'sports' movies with much smaller scope. For example: Hip Hip Hurray, Lagaan and Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar. This tells us that to prove a point one need not show the team winning a World Cup. One can base it much closer to reality rather than make the movie into one long dream!
But in the end I hope the people don't think of it as a dream and once the movie is over, go back to their lives and narrow world views. Hope this does bring a change in people. Change is one thing that we need, as a nation, as a people, as a race.
Change in the way we dream, the change in the way we think about certain things and a change in what we believe.
The girls are cute and the casting was done really well. A mainstream movie, for once, highlights real life issues like the hypocrisy of people, the segregation based on States and the problems faced by people from the North-East. It tries to show achievement of great things by a diverse group of people. Addresses the neglect of all sports in India except Cricket especially the women's teams.
But most of the issues seem to be inserted for the heck of it. One doesn't see or hear of them ever again (for example women in sports and the problems faced by people from North-East). These seem to be inserted to appeal to the people and to try and ground this movie in reality.
They also used some real hockey players (State and National Teams) in this movie. Komal Chautala is a state and national level player (real name: Chitrashi Rawat). But no where in the movie do they acknowledge the fact. Many people I am sure would have been un-aware of this fact. They could have shown it along with the titles.
The movies tries to be about overcoming odds and success over difficult circumstances/fighting the system. But in the end it is about Shah-rukh Khan getting his respect back. The movie ends and begins with Shah-rukh Khan. After winning the 'Women's World Cup' the last we see of the Indian team is their arrival at the airport! We don't even see how their families react or what happens to their problems!
The movie also zips through certain places without actually making any sense. For example the issue with 'man to man marking' seems to have been added in just to allow the girl with the ego to re-enter the team. The entire scene is just about 1min 10sec long and the main tactic for beating man-to-man marking seems to be few hand signals.
As a friend pointed out, the real players are overshadowed by the professional actors who were cast for the role. Furthermore all the major roles have gone to professional actors.
To conclude this, I think this movie tried to show everything. The scope was just too big. There have been many successful 'sports' movies with much smaller scope. For example: Hip Hip Hurray, Lagaan and Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar. This tells us that to prove a point one need not show the team winning a World Cup. One can base it much closer to reality rather than make the movie into one long dream!
But in the end I hope the people don't think of it as a dream and once the movie is over, go back to their lives and narrow world views. Hope this does bring a change in people. Change is one thing that we need, as a nation, as a people, as a race.
Change in the way we dream, the change in the way we think about certain things and a change in what we believe.
