Shah Rukh Khan thanks 'Chak De India' girls for making him the 'gunda'

Picture Courtesy: Mid-day Archives

Actor Shah Rukh Khan expressed his gratitude to the cast of his 2007 film 'Chak De India' through his social media accounts on Thursday. The actor, who played the role of Kabir Khan, coach of the Indian women's hockey team, expressed his love as the film completed 14 years of release on August 10. The actor uploaded a selfie and captioned it: "Just felt like thanking all the young ladies of Chak De India for making the film such a beautiful experience. And Shimit, Adi, @yrf, #MirRanjanNegi, @jaideepsahni, @sudeepdop, @Sukhwindermusic and all involved with this labour of love for making me the 'Gunda' of the film."

The film was directed by Shimit Amin and produced by Aditya Chopra. 'Chak De India' traced the struggle of Indian women's hockey team as they battled sexism and personal issues and won the World Cup.

Khan played Kabir Khan, a disgraced hockey coach desperately seeking redemption after being falsely accused of match-fixing. A subject like this can easily go over the top, with monologues about India, its legacy, and patriotism. What would follow is a historic box office. Amin's cinema is devoid of all of this. Delivering his most remarkable and restrained performance after ‘Swades', Khan played a role that tilted more towards the character than the star.

Most of his celluloid characters have been the embodiment of what his real-life aura is, making women go weak in the knees with his magnetism. Here, there are 11 women, not to romance but to serve the country with their collective contribution. There's virtually no trace of SRK in this SRK film. He wears white shirts and brown pants, travels by scooter, sports stubble, and profusely perspires in one explosive scene. Yes, there are outdoor locales in ‘Chak De!', but they have been explored and exploited for training montages and matches.

Also Read: People call Chak De! ahead of its times, says writer Jaideep Sahni

With inputs from IANS