<p>During the final minutes of a match between and , India trails 0–1. Team captain Kabir Khan takes a crucial that narrowly misses, resulting in a loss. A photograph of Khan embracing the Pakistani captain circulates and is misinterpreted as a sign of disloyalty. Accusations of treachery follow, and Khan, facing religious prejudice, leaves his home with his mother. Seven years later, the struggles for relevance. Kabir is appointed as coach by the , which remains sceptical of the team’s future. He is tasked with uniting sixteen players from diverse regions, each burdened by internal rivalries and societal challenges. Komal Chautala and Preeti Sabarwal frequently clash, Balbir Kaur bullies less assertive teammates, and Mary Ralte and Molly Zimik face racial discrimination. Team captain Vidya Sharma is torn between her sporting ambitions and her in-laws’ expectations, while Preeti’s fiancé, vice-captain Abhimanyu Singh, undermines her dedication to hockey. Khan imposes a disciplined training regime, benching players who refuse to cooperate, including the experienced but defiant Bindiya Naik. After Bindiya encourages rebellion and Khan resigns, a confrontation with local men unites the team. Recognising their newfound cohesion, the players urge Khan to stay, and he resumes his role as coach. To secure the team’s participation in the in , Khan arranges a match against the Indian men’s team. Despite losing, the women’s performance impresses officials, and the team travels to the tournament. Internal discord continues, and Bindiya’s resentment leads to a heavy defeat against Australia. Confronted by Khan, she attempts to manipulate him but is rebuffed. Later, she agrees to rejoin the team and helps dismantle ‘s defensive strategy, leading to a crucial win. India advances to the final against Australia. Komal and Preeti set aside their rivalry, contributing to a comeback that forces a penalty shootout. Trailing early in the shootout, the team recovers and wins 3–2. Upon returning to India, the players are welcomed with respect and recognition. Khan, his reputation restored, returns with his mother to their home. Shortly after the release of , the media began referring to the sixteen actresses who portrayed the members of the women’s hockey team as the ” Girls”. The ensemble received widespread recognition for their performances, and the term became synonymous with the film’s cultural impact. At the in 2008, the jury collectively honoured the group with the award, marking an unusual instance of the accolade being shared among multiple performers. was produced by under the banner of and marked director ‘s second collaboration with the studio following (2004). The film’s screenplay was written by , who was inspired by a brief news article on the ’s victory at the . Sahni developed the story as a tribute to women athletes and initially modeled the protagonist Kabir Khan on coach , who later recommended Sahni meet former hockey player . Although parallels were drawn between Khan’s character and Negi’s real-life experience—Negi was accused of match-fixing after a loss to Pakistan in the —Sahni stated that the script was written before he became aware of Negi’s story. Negi later joined the film’s production as a technical advisor. In interviews, both Sahni and Negi clarified that was not a , but a fictional narrative focused on a women’s team overcoming systemic and social challenges. The film’s title was derived from an old martial slogan, which explained meant “the will to get up and get on with it.” “I felt why has the girls’ team been given so little coverage. I shared the idea with . He liked it and said stop everything else and concentrate on it. I started my research by spending time with hockey players … It’s just a matter of chance that Negi’s story matches with Kabir Khan. There are many cases, like in , football players are killed for not performing well for the club. I had no idea about Negi’s story while writing the script, and he joined us after the script was ready. In fact, his name was suggested by , who was the coach of the team that won the . On day one, when Negi read the script, he cried and it was then that we came to know about his story.” was cast in the lead role of Kabir Khan, a disgraced former hockey player seeking redemption as the coach of the Indian women’s national team. Khan, who had played hockey during his college years, initially declined the role due to scheduling conflicts with and (both 2006), but later accepted it, describing the part as one of the most personal and meaningful of his career. His portrayal was considered a significant departure from his established romantic hero image, as the role lacked both a female lead and musical numbers typically associated with his films. was originally approached for the role but exited the project due to creative differences with director . Khan’s eventual casting was widely seen as unconventional and received critical acclaim following the film’s release. Casting the sixteen players who composed the women’s hockey team involved a six-month process. Amin sought individuals who could convincingly portray both athletes and characters. Several actors—including , Sandia Furtado, and Raynia Masceranhas—were selected for their real-life experience as hockey players and subsequently trained in acting. Others with acting backgrounds underwent rigorous sports training. The final cast participated in a four-month boot camp that included hockey drills, acting workshops, physical conditioning, and nutrition supervision. Amin described the casting process as particularly challenging due to the dual skill set required for the roles. began in early 2007 and took place across multiple locations in and . Training montages and interior scenes were filmed at , while match sequences were shot at international stadiums, including the in , which stood in for venues depicted in the film. Rob Miller, a specialist in staging athletic sequences for film, served as the sports action director. He collaborated with former player and national coach to choreograph realistic gameplay. The production emphasized long takes and handheld camera work to preserve the energy and flow of the matches. , the film’s cinematographer, employed a naturalistic style to visually distinguish between the personal and sporting aspects of the narrative. Cast members performed most of their own stunts, with matches rehearsed extensively to ensure continuity and realism. Background actors and extras were used to simulate live stadium audiences. Notably, the opening sequence involving Khan’s missed penalty stroke took more than 20 hours to film, with multiple retakes under Negi’s supervision to achieve the desired authenticity. was completed at Yash Raj Studios, where minimal digital enhancements were used in the match scenes. Sound design emphasized crowd noise and field ambience to support the immersive tone of the tournament sequences. The of was composed by , marking their first collaboration with actor . All lyrics were written by . The album consists of seven tracks, including one and a excerpt performed by Khan. The music blends elements of traditional Indian instrumentation with contemporary arrangements, reflecting the film’s themes of unity and national pride. The album was released on 11 July 2007 under the YRF Music label. Upon release, it received a positive response from listeners and critics alike. According to , approximately 1.1 million units were sold, making it the eleventh highest-selling Bollywood soundtrack album of the year. The title track, “Chak De! India,” in particular, gained widespread popularity and became an unofficial anthem at sporting events in India. was released theatrically worldwide on 10 August 2007. In India, the film opened on approximately 400 screens, a limited rollout by industry standards, attributed to the lukewarm box office performance of ‘ preceding releases, and . The film had its international premiere on 13 August 2007 at in , as part of the Summer Screen and India Now festivals. The outdoor screening attracted an audience of over 2,000 attendees and served as a prominent showcase for Indian cinema abroad. On 17 August 2016, was screened in during the Independence Day Film Festival. The event was jointly organised by the and the to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Indian independence. opened to strong box office response, driven by positive word-of-mouth and critical acclaim. Indian cinema halls reported occupancy of approximately 80% during its opening weekend. The film topped the domestic box office during its first two weeks and continued to play to full houses across major urban centres for several weeks thereafter. It emerged as the third-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2007 in India, earning a domestic net total of ₹66.54 crore, and was classified as a “Blockbuster” by . By the end of its theatrical run, the film had grossed approximately ₹102 crore (US$27.05 million) worldwide, including ₹85.86 crore in India and ₹15.76 crore (US$3.94 million) from international markets. received widespread critical acclaim in India and internationally. On the , 89% of 19 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.3/10. On , it holds a score of 68 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating “generally favorable” feedback. Indian critics lauded the film’s narrative structure, feminist themes, and performances. of awarded it 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as a film of “great performances by a bunch of unknowns.” called it “the most feisty movie to have come out of ever.” Sudhish Kamath of described it as “one of the best feminist films of our times,” while critic termed it “the most authentic, meticulously researched sports movie India has made.” of also gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it “a winner all the way.” Bharathi S. Pradhan of praised the screenplay and ensemble cast, writing that “sixteen unknown, and not even glamorous, girls simply carried you with them.” In an interview, journalist Aseem Chhabra remarked that the film “changed the mood in India” and appreciated how each supporting character was given narrative space. International critics responded positively as well. Jaspreet Pandohar of the rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, noting that it provided “a rare look at a popular Indian sport often overshadowed by cricket.” Andy Webster of compared the film’s underdog narrative to the U.S. women’s soccer team’s 1991 FIFA World Cup victory, stating it gave “a fresh look to a conventional sports template.” of called the film “a patriotic heartwarmer that scores some old-fashioned entertainment goals,” while ’s Kirk Honeycutt highlighted the film’s “first-rate technical credits,” including its cinematography and use of location. Some critics offered more tempered views. Michael Dequina of gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars, calling it a “familiar, formula underdog sports movie.” of rated it 2 out of 4 stars, stating that while the film relied on sports-movie clichés, it did so with “vigorous conviction.” , writing for , gave the film 3.5 stars, acknowledging its predictability but calling it “an outright winner.” of gave the same rating, remarking that the film “compels you to root for a team of losers whom only an earth-angel can save from disastrous defeat.” was named Best Film of 2007 in a joint ranking with by a panel of Bollywood directors including , , , , and . has been widely regarded as one of the most influential Hindi films of the 2000s. It was included in film critic and author Shubhra Gupta’s book , which highlights landmark films that reshaped the landscape of Hindi cinema. In 2023, ranked the film 35th on its list of the “100 Best Bollywood Movies,” citing its cultural impact, progressive themes, and enduring popularity. The film’s title track, “ ,” composed by , has transcended its cinematic origins to become a popular sports anthem in India. It is frequently played at national and international sporting events, particularly cricket and hockey matches. Composer Salim Merchant noted that the song “almost became the sports anthem of the country, especially after India won the .” Following India’s , cricketer led the crowd in singing the song during celebrations. In 2015, after defeated at the , reporter Nitin Srivastava observed that chants of “ ” and “Chak De India” echoed through the .</p>