CHAK DE! INDIA Screenplay invited to Oscar Library

The people who are loving Yash Raj Films' last release Chak De! India have surely got another reason to cheer. I know, for sure, that you have read this news everywhere before. But I still take pride in typing up this great news. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (the official name of the Oscar organisers) has requested Yashraj Films to send a copy of the screenplay of Chak De India. Chak De India won tremendous acclaim from the critics and masses alike. It's become a huge hit in the Indian market. So much so, that, it was hard for me to catch Chak De India at a leading multiplex here in Kolkata on last Saturday. It was going full-house in its 4th week at the box office! Monday evening show saw 90% occupancy. If this ain't a blockbuster, then what is?

The scripts in the collection reside at the Margaret Herrick Library and are made accessible for research purposes only; students, filmmakers, writers and actors are among the regular patrons. Screenplays may only be viewed in the library; they do not circulate. Also, no screenplay is allowed to be photocopied.

Chak De surely deserved this one. There's been very few screenplays (by an awesome Jaideep Sahni) as great in recent times. It's a simple and straightforward narrative yet it's multidimensional. The pace is relentless. But I'll discuss more of that in my review. It needs a good amount of discussion. And SRK! I just can't stop praising this man. More on that later.

I also wish that it gets selected as the official Oscar entry this year. There's none such a film. this year. I'll have a different article on the Oscar race this year.

Wait for the review! Meanwhile, I'll come up with the external reviews and acclaim for Chak De! India.

Till then, just Chak De!

CHAK DE INDIA Teaser: Girls vs Boys

Well, it's evident that everyone is loving Chak De India. From YRF haters to SRK haters to critics have declared love for this film. Everyone's raving about Shah Rukh Khan. This film has rocked everyone! Okay? This isn't the topic of discussion of this post I'll post a review and CDI topics soon. Let's come to the teaser.

This is a teaser where the girls of Shahrukh Khan are going to play against a bunch of 16 boys. SRK is giving them his advice. This is a clip from the film and is very humourous. SRK tells them mischievously, "Don't think you are gonna play with these 16 boys, you are playing the game against each one of the fools who has forgotten that, if women can give birth to them, they can do anything." Rocking! Ain't it? You'll enjoy the teaser irrespective of the teaser. The humourous mood sets it up. SRK cheers his girls and indeed takes serious care of one of his team by pressing her legs! SRK throws a million-dollar smile afterwards and the girls are enthused!

See it! I'll post and review the theatrical trailer soon. Post comments!

CHAK DE INDIA: TV Teaser

This is a TV teaser from CHAK DE INDIA. I know it's pretty much late to post this teaser. The theatrical trailer is an extended version of this teaser. So I'll post my views on it tomorrow along with that one. You can download it for your iPod too!


Comments! Please!

CHAK DE INDIA: TEASER - Xclusive! & First!

Ooh! what it was! First, I got the poster! Now it's the trailer itself! Thaaaaaaaanxxxxxxx to my dearest YouTube friend trailerer. You rock man! Just for you! He even spent a few buck to bring it. As he says, he recorded it from a video screenshot. So, video quality is not so good!

But, I APPLAUD HIS EFFORT!

This video, in 30 seconds, is excellent, to describe in a single word. Particularly because of Shah Rukh Khan. And guess what! He sings! He describes his team of 16 girls so enthusiastically, that it's hard for me to write that despite it's in English. It's basically a music video. It won't be a part of the film.

Shahrukh does it!

Then you see the dark silhouettes of the girls in the studio shots and they appear in the semi-Lagaan style. To sum up, it packs in solid punch in half of a minute. Watch it (and the film too)!

RATE IT!

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Poll: What are your expectations from CHAK DE INDIA?

• Shimit Amin is one of the finest filmmaking talents ever to emerge in Bollywood. He struck everyone with awe with his first directorial venture, AB TAK CHHAPPAN. His razor-sharp execution compelled us to enter the world of encounter cops. He made us uncomfortable by creating realistic situations. Then, certainly, expectations from his next are very high.
• Shah Rukh Khan, I believe, is one of the finest actors in Indian cinema. No I don't belong to his "fan club" nor do I believe in the "fan club" system. I simply praise his acting skills. People, I mean, his hater critics decry him by saying that he doesn't work without a Johar/ Chopra backing. They still say it even after MAYA MEMSAAB, KABHI HAAN KABHI NAA, CHAMATKAR, DDLJ, SWADES, PAHELI - which easily rank amongst the best performances ever in any Hindi cinema. Why did everyone hated his "character" in KANK? Only because he made it look real. It's a pity that he is "still" underestimated as an actor. "Oh-SRK-is-so-commercial!" is the reaction he gets. He is a natural performer. He is still underutilised. Don't you agree?
• Yash Raj, though is a full-blood mainstream Bollywood studio, had decided to swim against the tide in the film, KABUL EXPRESS after producing a total crap like DHOOM:2. Normally the expectation are there that YRF would make another path-breaking film.

So what happens when we put all them together? In mathematical language,
(LHS.) Shimit Amin + Shahrukh + Yashraj = Chak De India (R.H.S.)

The movie revolves around the story a hockey coach for a girl's team and a young Sikh girl who wants to join the hockey team but does not get the approval of her parents. You may already know that SRK is the coach here. The storyline sounds very similar with BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (which is again a good film). But I hope (and trust them) that a director like Shimit won't come up with a remake of a hit "Indian" film. So it "has to be" different!

Now come to SRK's looks. He has been given a beard and is made look old. But, he looks very attractive. If poster is anything to go by, I think he will put forth a strong performance. Look at his eyes! They convey so much! I think I won't be disappointed.

There were alleged cold vibes and wars between YRF and SRK even a year ago. But the truth has spoken himself. The shooting began from August, 2006, after they both "parted their ways". Now the same media reports that Aditya Chopra's next will star SRK.

But will the film be a "COMMERCIAL HIT*? Probably NO. This kind of films don't work in Bollywood. Just look at Kabul Express! Just as because there were no "dancing-round-the-trees" and bad script it flopped. But just look at craps like DHOOM:2, VIVAH! The latter is still in theaters.

Even SRK, a crowd-puller has said,

I don't think CDI will be a grand commercial success. I can tell before a film's release if it will work at B.O. The same happened for Swades. I told Ashutosh(Gowariker) that the script was great but it wouldn't be a hit. But he didn't think so. Now you have the results.

But I "WILL DEFINITELY" watch this movie. I hits theaters on AUGUST 10.

Now tell me,

• ARE YOU LOOKIN' FORWARD TO THE MOVIE THE WAY I AM?
• WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
• DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE A BLOCKBUSTER?
• WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY ARTICLE?

Feel free to comment!

Additional Scoop: From the 1st week of July, I'll start a regular segment on CDI, where I'll post exclusive videos and behind-the-scenes of CDI. Just wait till June 15/17 when you'll get the first theatrical of CDI online on BUwH.