Yesterday I saw Chak De once again, and during this second watch I realised that despite all the rave reviews, the film is pretty much an exercise in mediocrity, in terms of craft.
Firstly, it’s patronising, at the drop of hat. SRK makes a statement to the effect of “ this is the first time a Gorah’ has raised the Indian flag (Ahem…what about at the Olympics?)” and when a guy tries to hit a woman from behind, he stops him, berates him and says something to the effect, ”That’s why we don’t have chakkas on the Indian team.”
Shockingly politically incorrect! A far cry from that scene in the movie Bombay, where a eunuch has the good sense to shelter an abandoned child from the riots, whilst ‘normal’ men and women are murdering one another.
At the ‘Gorah raises Indian flag bit” the audience began hooting and cheering, whilst my friend sitting next to me muttered under her breath, “Go F**k yourselves!”.
the day every Indian is proud to raise
a Gorah is probably more credible raising the flag than somebody from Nagaland?
Your review made me see how my mother is still a work in progress 58 years on. Elaborate later… thanks for providing the insight.