Sports movies tend to be incredibly formulaic; the basic plot is almost always the same, and there are a number of tropes which have to be rigidly followed or, occasionally, subverted. The amazing thing about Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii (2007) is that it completely ignores most of these tropes, and focuses on character development instead.
Karan (Zain Khan) is a thirteen year old living in an almost Dickensian orphanage run by John Kakkar (Rajesh Khera), whom the orphans have nicknamed ‘Hitler’. It is not a nickname born of affection. Kakkar tends to stay in his office, however, so most of the time the boys have to deal with his loyal stooge Raghu (Raj Bhansali), an older boy who dresses, walks, and talks like the streetwise bad boy form an early 90s Aamir Khan film, but lacks the traditional heart of gold.
Needless to say, life in the orphanage is not pleasant. Karan dreams of two things: parents, and a chance to play cricket. Protective parents won’t adopt him, because they’re only interested in babies. And the neighborhood boys won’t let him play cricket with them because . . . because they’re jerks, really. And because Raghav doesn’t like him.
Speaking of cricket, things are not going well for the Indian team; they’re playing a series of matches against Pakistan, and they are losing. As team captain Varun (Rahul Bose) explains to his girlfriend Malini (Meera Vasudevan), it’s possible for a team to play well and still lose, but the Indian public don’t see it that way. The team is getting hammered by the press, and even their coach, Ranjit Lal (Lalit Parashar) is fed up with them, declaring that he should be coaching kids from the streets, since at least they play with spirit.
Meanwhile, Karan finds an old battered cricket bat, which he is convinced once belonged to legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, in a shipment of donated toys. The next day, he’s invited to join the cricket game when the boy with the only other bat leaves in a huff. Raghu and the others intend to bowl him out quickly so they can use the bat, but Karan hits the ball, and it sails into the street and smashes the window of Ranjit Lal’s car. Lal is amazed, and tells the kid to keep batting. After a few more amazing hits, Lal is convinced that he’s discovered a cricket prodigy, and Karan is convinced that his bat is magic.
Naturally, Karan is recruited for the Indian team, and naturally, with his amazing and possibly magical batting, the tide turns and the Indian team begin to win. However, this is where the film begins to defy, or at least ignore, expectations; the Indian team are not a lovable bunch of rag tag losers, they’re professional athletes who have been on a bit of a losing streak. The Pakistani team aren’t jerks, bullies, or snobs, they’re decent people and good sports, who demonstrate a nice rapport with their Indian counterparts. And while yes, everything does come down to one climactic turn at bat, the movie isn’t really all that interested in the cricket; the improbable plot is mostly an excuse to get Karan and Varun together so that they can bond, Karan can share his innocent wisdom, and Varun can learn the importance of family. It’s like a charming family drama pretending to be a sports movie.
Karan (Zain Khan) is a thirteen year old living in an almost Dickensian orphanage run by John Kakkar (Rajesh Khera), whom the orphans have nicknamed ‘Hitler’. It is not a nickname born of affection. Kakkar tends to stay in his office, however, so most of the time the boys have to deal with his loyal stooge Raghu (Raj Bhansali), an older boy who dresses, walks, and talks like the streetwise bad boy form an early 90s Aamir Khan film, but lacks the traditional heart of gold.
Needless to say, life in the orphanage is not pleasant. Karan dreams of two things: parents, and a chance to play cricket. Protective parents won’t adopt him, because they’re only interested in babies. And the neighborhood boys won’t let him play cricket with them because . . . because they’re jerks, really. And because Raghav doesn’t like him.
Speaking of cricket, things are not going well for the Indian team; they’re playing a series of matches against Pakistan, and they are losing. As team captain Varun (Rahul Bose) explains to his girlfriend Malini (Meera Vasudevan), it’s possible for a team to play well and still lose, but the Indian public don’t see it that way. The team is getting hammered by the press, and even their coach, Ranjit Lal (Lalit Parashar) is fed up with them, declaring that he should be coaching kids from the streets, since at least they play with spirit.
Meanwhile, Karan finds an old battered cricket bat, which he is convinced once belonged to legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, in a shipment of donated toys. The next day, he’s invited to join the cricket game when the boy with the only other bat leaves in a huff. Raghu and the others intend to bowl him out quickly so they can use the bat, but Karan hits the ball, and it sails into the street and smashes the window of Ranjit Lal’s car. Lal is amazed, and tells the kid to keep batting. After a few more amazing hits, Lal is convinced that he’s discovered a cricket prodigy, and Karan is convinced that his bat is magic.
Naturally, Karan is recruited for the Indian team, and naturally, with his amazing and possibly magical batting, the tide turns and the Indian team begin to win. However, this is where the film begins to defy, or at least ignore, expectations; the Indian team are not a lovable bunch of rag tag losers, they’re professional athletes who have been on a bit of a losing streak. The Pakistani team aren’t jerks, bullies, or snobs, they’re decent people and good sports, who demonstrate a nice rapport with their Indian counterparts. And while yes, everything does come down to one climactic turn at bat, the movie isn’t really all that interested in the cricket; the improbable plot is mostly an excuse to get Karan and Varun together so that they can bond, Karan can share his innocent wisdom, and Varun can learn the importance of family. It’s like a charming family drama pretending to be a sports movie.
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