MovieChat Forums > Chak De! India (2007) Discussion > Do you have to be Indian to love this fi...

Do you have to be Indian to love this film?

posted 16 years ago by kaluninja
14 replies | jump to latest

I didn't dislike this film as such but I'm not sure how it got an 8.2. It wasn't boring or terrible but it didn't really move me either.

I admired SRK's acting throughout but it doesn't compare to a film like Lagaan, which has something more appealing to it than just national pride and 1 man's career.

I didn't really care too much about the petty fueds between the players where as in Lagaan you felt really sorry for the spin bowler from a lower caste's predicament.

I dunno, I'd probably love it if I was Indian!

[–] AngrySock 16 years ago

I think with all else equal, an Indian would like this movie a bit more than a non-Indian because of patriotism.

Lagaan is totally different because it is more about the fight against oppression of the British, and to a lesser extent the oppression of lower castes.

[–] junxs 16 years ago

I loved it and im Pakistani
The reason i liked it was because its just about the only sports film which i found to be any good. You didnt get any of those scenes where the team is losing and you see the clock tick down as the losing teams scores with just 1 second left, haha.

Also it didnt have over the top fueds within the team, just one queen bitch and a couple of strikers not passing to one another, it kept the issues sport related with no love interest.

As for a bollywood release its refreshing from your usual love triangle, and whats even greater - no signing and dancing, just good script and acting :) wish more Bollywood was like this.

[–] NormaDesmond6 16 years ago

I enjoyed it and I'm English!

[–] LookinGood 16 years ago

I loved it and I am German :-).
In fact, this was my first "Bollywood" film ever (it's not my cup of tea, Bollywood, but the text on the DVD box got me interested). Not sure why it was filed under Bollywood in my library, it's straight sports drama. I sat there chewing my nails for the last few minutes of the game --like it was the Soccer World Cup! (pssst: *Our* women got that one .) Funny thing, because I never liked hockey. And of course they had to win, it's the nature of such films!

I think junxs pretty much summed it up: The film avoids many (not all :-) ) of the clichés.
It sets up the characters pretty well in the first half and then takes this to good use in the second half. And most of the sports shots were good and believable, adding to the realism and "grip" of the film in the last quarter. The score is a plus, a driving force when neccessary.

I am not sure I'll ever warm to typical Bollywood fare, but if there are more films like this coming out of India, I'll be watching them.
--
"Nobody ever said the IMDB was polite company." MichaelD on the Luther (2003) board.

[–] psychedelically 15 years ago

I think it is a patriotism thing. Who wouldn't love to see a movie where their country, against all odds, won such an amazing victory?

I'm of Indian heritage, born and raised in Australia and I didn't absolutely adore the film. I liked it, it was funny, but I don't have that Indian pride in me that would make me rate it as an amazing movie.

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Have fun. Play loud. Live free. Die proud.

[–] friendless-farrell 15 years ago

I liked it because you got to see some of the racial tensions within India. I watch a lot of Indian movies, and very few make any mention of that. I thought some of the girls were nice, and SRK was tolerable. Being Australian it was good to see real Australians (not poms or South Africans) in the film, and the portrayal of the Australian sporting team was probably accurate.

[–] aaves 14 years ago

Puhleeezzzz dnt compare lagaan with CHAK DE INDIA!!!

The latter is much real n has logic...

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] vipulbanimator 14 years ago

the greatest asset of this film was probably the character buildup. the screenplay was equally brilliant. Anyone could identify with the situation and feel anxious and tensed in the last 30 minutes. ie u don't have to be an Indian to love this film. The movie was lovable.

[–] tobisteiner62 14 years ago

I am a native of California, of British Isles descent, Jewish, and I LOVE this movie! I also love SRK in general, and I very much like a number of films that might be considered more typically "Bollywood" (such as Joda Akbaar, Om Shanti Om, etc.). I should also point out that I'm by no means an athlete or usually a fan of sports-related films. But this movie is one of my favorites. I've seen it at least twice, and I wouldn't mind seeing it several more times.

So as far as I'm concerned, the answer to the OP's question is a resounding NO!

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You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] web1-2 13 years ago

Well you have to be human to love this film!

The beauty of it (for me) was seeing how these radically different and highly independent/individual characters could be melded into a powerful team, without losing their uniqueness. And each character was so distinct and well-defined...that's what made it interesting.

[–] mei_purba 12 years ago

I'm not Indian. I'm Indonesian & Chinese. My... I love Bollywood movies since I was in primary school. I remembered we had to sit down nicely in front of the tv every Friday, waiting for the movie was on. Sometimes it's blurry, out of signal, and we had to move the pool wire left and right to get the signal back.Or, sneaking to neighbor's window just to be able to watch it ( sometimes they didn't let us in,and locked the door and closed the windows! )

I had a big crush for Salman Khan. I watched ALL his old movies and till new ones. Till I saw SRK and I changed my idol.

No, you don't have to be an Indian to love the movies.

I love Chak De India and had tears a lot watching it.

Namaste!!!!

[–] uab99 12 years ago

I liked this movie, and I am a standard generic white dude from the USA (of Scottish, Irish, and German descent). However, my girlfriend is Indian and she has recently introduced me to Bollywood movies, so maybe that gives me a free pass. :p

I also liked lagaan for what it's worth.