The film ‘Chak De! India,’ starring Shah Rukh Khan, has once again become a topic of discussion, with Annu Kapoor raising questions about the portrayal of the character inspired by Mir Ranjan Negi. Kapoor expressed his concern that the character was deliberately shown as Muslim, deviating from the real-life identity of Negi.
Kapoor’s comments, made at TV9 Bharatvarsh’s Satta Sammelan, highlighted his disappointment with the film’s creative liberties. He suggested that the change in religious identity was a strategic move for commercial success, leading to debate.
To understand the context, ‘Chak De! India’ (2007) featured Shah Rukh Khan as Kabir Khan, a character influenced by Mir Ranjan Negi. The film’s director, Shimit Amin, and screenwriter, Jaideep Sahani, have provided insights into the film’s creation.
Sahani revealed that the script was written before they discovered Negi’s story. He emphasized that the primary focus was on the women’s hockey team, not a biographical account of Negi’s life. Negi later contributed as a technical advisor.
Sahani stated that the script was written 18 months before the film and was initially about women players. The filmmakers then reached out to Negi, who agreed to help train the actors.
Mir Ranjan Negi, the former goalkeeper for the Indian men’s hockey team, played a role in the development of ‘Chak De! India.’ He is originally from Almora. In 1982, Negi was the goalkeeper when India lost to Pakistan in the Asian Games. He faced criticism and was accused of being a traitor, which is echoed in the film. However, Negi has said that the film was not his biography, but a fictional story about women’s hockey.