Chak De! India
Triumph of spirit, exhilarating sportsmanship and thrilling finish are keywords to Shimit Amin’s deft Chak De! India.
But the reason this sports drama is special in more ways than one is because of how it addresses everything Bollywood typically shies away from — being a Muslim in modern India, the state of women athletes and, of course, hockey.
A former hockey player doesn’t get the benefit of doubt on a bad day at the field because he’s playing against arch rival Pakistan and his only shot at vindication is his coaching a team of diamond-in-the-rough girls to victory. Its greatest appeal is summed up in this dialogue from the movie — Mujhe na kisi state ka naam sunai deta hain aur na hi dikhai deta hai. Mujhe sirf ek hi naam sunai aur dikhai deta hai, woh hai I-N-D-I-A.
Lagaan