A Review

Art connects,conveys and convinces . It has the ability to connect and chronicle the past, the power to express and communicate emotions and thoughts and the adroitness to persuade and convince .While history performs the all-important task of linking the past to the present ,Literature mirrors life ,manifesting the trends and issues of contemporary society sometimes going to the extent of suggesting reforms and improvisations to upgrade the life-quality of human beings. In recent times Films which are also an art form have been showcasing historical events and highlighting emerging social changes .
Talking of a recent film 'Chak De India' I am of the view that apart from being imbued with the national spirit which reaches across to the viewers and promoting Indian Women 's Hockey thus giving and subtly pointing to the impetus required for sports in our country , it also throws light on another upcoming radical social trend. The film has a feminist perspective conveying that the Indian woman today has finally stepped out of the domestic arena to fulfil her own desires.She has set her priorities right and that too most importantly without any feeling of guilt . If she has set a goal for herself she does achieve it. The grit ,the tenacity of purpose and firm resolve are leading her towards her own emancipation .
The instance of the goalee in the film who is married and is under immense pressure from her family to attend a family wedding does not succumb to their wishes . It is not that she wants to be defiant ...its just that she knows her mind and wants to pursue its directives .She confides in the coach(who is willing to let her visit home for 2 days ) that once she is back home she will have to say goodbye to hockey forever and thus decides to stay on and goes on to become the captain of the team.
Priti in the film who is engaged to a promising young cricketer finds to her utter dismay that her fiance has no respect for her profession condescendingly referring to it as 'gulli danda' and pesters her to give up hockey,marry him ,go on foreign tours with him and enjoy life. Her prospective husband she discovers is an arrogant male chauvinist who perpetually undermines the importance of hockey and gloats over cricket being THE sport. In the final scenes she reveals to another player ,Komal that she wants to prove to her fiance that she can be instrumental in bringing victory for her team by hitting maximum number of goals. I n the end Priti refuses to marry her fiance as she realizes that disrespect and disregard cannot form the basis of a long-lasting relationship.
Ironically these 2 girls Priti and Vidya do play a major role in winning the World Cup for the Indian Womens Hockey team.
All the 16 girls in the team have reached there by dint of their diligence, determination and dedication. They have left their states and home towns and their families against all odds to be part of this team which is being trained for the World Cup . When they have to prove themselves in a match agaist the men's hockey team the team coach motivates them by saying that it is not just 16 girls playing against 16 boys rather these 16 girls represent the entire female sex and must show their mettle and power to the world .And again it is these qualities which makes them world champions !
Feminism or Feminist tendency is not a conflict agianst the opposite sex. Neither does it demand from its followers an anti-feminine code. Being born a woman is a blessing of God for he has endowed them with not only sterling qualities of head and heart but the divine power of bringing forth life into this world. The unfortunate part is that society has always been male-dominated .....and this nagging fear of the male sex of being overshadowed and dominated by the female sex has caused them to tighten their noose around them. Life always moves in acyclic fashion ..and therefore the suppressed class i.e the female sex has now learnt to free itself from all shackles and has stepped into every field /profession which was some few years back considered as the male bastion.
Besides being a feminist is not emulatimg men folk in speech or mannerisms ...it is exuding confidence , warmth, affection, large-heartedness and a forgiving attitude .
To return to the film I call Chak De India pro-feminist for it celebrates female independence and woman empowerment !