2007 · Film
Chak De! India
Shah Rukh Khan plays a disgraced former hockey captain who coaches India's neglected women's national hockey team in this Yash Raj Films sports drama.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Chak De! India is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
The story
Kabir Khan, once captain of India's men's hockey team, is disgraced after a loss to Pakistan when a photograph of him shaking hands with the rival captain is used to question his loyalty. Seven years later, he takes a job nobody wants: coaching the neglected Indian women's national hockey team. His 16 players come from different states and backgrounds, carry regional rivalries and pressures from home, and barely play as a team. Kabir sets out to build a side that can compete at the World Cup.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A strong pick for family viewing and for anyone who enjoys underdog sports stories, with themes of national unity, women in sport and prejudice. Expect a restaurant brawl, scenes of harassment and religious bigotry aimed at the coach.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Jaideep Sahni wrote Chak De! India after reading about the Indian women's hockey team winning gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The story and characters are fictional, though Kabir Khan's arc resembles the experience of former India hockey player Mir Ranjan Negi, who joined the production and, with then women's coach Maharaj Krishan Kaushik, trained the cast for six months. The team was played by a mix of actors and professional players, and Yash Raj Films produced the film.
It was released on 10 August 2007, close to India's 60th Independence Day, on only about 400 screens in India. Made on a ₹20 crore budget, it grossed about ₹109 crore and was the third-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2007. It won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and five Filmfare Awards, including Best Actor for Shah Rukh Khan. Its title song is still widely played at sports events.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Sports drama
- Runtime
- 149 min
- Certificate
- U
- Director
- Shimit Amin
- Cast
- Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Sagarika Ghatge, Shilpa Shukla, Chitrashi Rawat
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Chak De! India in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Chak De! India is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
- Is Chak De! India in Hindi?
- Yes. Chak De! India is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Chak De! India suitable for children?
- Chak De! India has a CBFC U certificate, which means it is suitable for viewers of all ages.
- How long is Chak De! India?
- Chak De! India runs for 2 hours 29 minutes (149 minutes).