Chak De Script Execution!!

The horrible indulgences contributive to a successful day wasted leave you high and dry. Saturday was spent watching movies, I managed to see Half Nelson, the DVD was lying around for a very long time.
Half Nelson is the story about an idealistic high school teacher in the Bronx, whose unorthodox ways of teaching 8th grade history inspires his students to think outside the box, rather than succumb to the conventional mores. His personal battles with drug addiction, and the subsequent discovery of the issue by a student leads to him striking an unconventional friendship with her. The film explores the relationship between these individuals, one, whose idealism head butts against stark reality, and the other whose circumstances make her choose the easier way out. A very performance driven show, engrossing albeit a little lethargic at times.

Another movie I wanted to watch was Chak De India, due to various reasons. Firstly, it was a sports movie, and we dont make those kind of movies in India. Lagaan was a fine effort, but it was more of using the game to settle personal conflicts, rather than focusing on the game itself. This movie concentrated on women's hockey, had Shahrukh Khan, in one of his unconventional avatars ala Swades and Paheli, and was helmed by a director whose previous work was great cinema. I was skeptical about the commercial viability of the product due to the very reasons mentioned above, but I was pleasantly suprised and wrong.

Beyond good performances, astute direction and skilled editing, the real winner is the execution of the script. The script itself is cliched, with the underdog team rising like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes, ably guided by a mentor who battles his own personal demons. Here we have Kabir Khan, whose failure to net a critical goal in an India- Pakistan final, leads to bribery allegations and accusations of being a traitor. He leaves the game and the world he knows for 7 years only to return to coach the womens national team to win the world championships. What makes his approach different is the fact that he does not do this to reinstate his image or as a personal vendetta. All he does is to emphasize the fact of playing as one team, transcending physical, regional and emotional boundaries, even if it involves a lot of stand-offs, altercations and rebellion. He wins, and in the process reclaims everything that has been taken away from him.

The script touches upon sensitive issues without being preachy, and at the same time doesnt trivialize them either. The story did have its own iota of stereotypes like the chauvinistic federation officials, arrogant boyfriends et al but they are just minor aberrations to an otherwise deftly executed script. Also, nobody knew or cared what the protagonist did during his 7 year oblivion nor was there time for unwarranted sidetracks, thereby not straying from the linear path chartered by the script.

I honestly believe that only a good script can salvage pride for a movie, as no amount of quality performance, able direction or star power can make a good movie into something that will stand the test of time. Purists might feel that the whole purpose of entertainment is not justified in the process, and thats where script execution steps in. The whole world loves a story well told!!