Agencies 

Aug 14: At a time when hockey has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons and the popularity has been slipping into a comatose state, Chak De India seems to have given a fresh lease of life to the national game.

Former players to octogenarian fans, who used to relish India's dominance in the game decades ago, are once again breathing pride about their passion and thronging the theatres with great enthusiasm.

And the born-optimists are hoping that the Shah Rukh Khan starrer would mark the revival of hockey's fortunes.

Loosely based on the life of former Indian goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi, who fell from grace after conceding seven goals against Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games final but made a resounding comeback by coaching the 2002 Commonwealth Games gold winning women's team, the movie has won appreciation from former players and hockey lovers in one accord.

"It's a fantastic film. I think for the first time, a film on hockey has been made and it is an amazing piece of work," said Zafar Iqbal, captain of the 1982 Asiad silver winning Indian team.

"Although Kabir Khan (SRK's character) is a bit different from Negi, the film realistically portrays the pain the goalkeeper went through. I hope it has some positive effect on the game and the administrators alike, especially the Indian Hockey Federation President KPS Gill," he quipped.

Showering praise on SRK for his spellbinding performance, Iqbal said the film had no technical flaws.

"Shah Rukh has done a brilliant job considering that he was playing a very tough character of a hockey coach. His effort is applaudable, Iqbal said.

"Apart from him, several other characters also stand out. The girl who plays Komal Chautala from Haryana and that angry Punjabi girl were outstanding. The humour is well spread and the film as a whole is inspiring," he added.

The illustrious Harbinder Singh, who was a gold medallist in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and played alongside the great Dhyan Chand, felt the filmmakers have made a brave attempt by choosing such an unconventional theme.

"'Chak De India' will have a very good effect on hockey. It would at least motivate the youth to take up the game. As for Negi, he must be a peaceful man now after all that he went through in 1982," he said.

Noted hockey writer K Arumugum was also impressed with the "brilliant" presentation of the game, which stopped looking glamorous ages ago.

"The cinematography is awe-inspiring. The matches are very beautifully shot and the performances of the actors make it a perfect entertainer.

"It is fictional, but it does show you what Negi may have gone through at that time. What I found most interesting was how the makers brought up issues like regional divide, ego clashes and the coach-player relationship in a team," he said.

The ardent hockey fan felt the game can benefit immensely from the film provided the administrators seize the opportunity.

"Everything about this film is brilliant. No technical flaws. A lot of research seems to have gone into it and it is sort of an opportunity for hockey to get back on its feet," he said.