Triumph of spirit, exhilarating sportsmanship and thrilling finish are keywords to Shimit Amin's deft Chak De! India.
But the reason this sports drama is special in more ways than one is because of how it addresses everything Bollywood typically shies away from -- being a Muslim in modern India, the state of women athletes and, of course, hockey.
A former hockey player doesn't get the benefit of doubt on a bad day at the field because he's playing against arch rival Pakistan and his only shot at vindication is his coaching a team of diamond-in-the-rough girls to victory. Its greatest appeal is summed up in this dialogue from the movie -- Mujhe na kisi state ka naam sunai deta hain aur na hi dikhai deta hai. Mujhe sirf ek hi naam sunai aur dikhai deta hai, woh hai I-N-D-I-A.
Lagaan
Who doesn't like to watch the underdog win? Especially if the team India is trying to crush happens to be England in the time of the British Raj. All the more if it results in tax-free existence for the next three years.
Aamir Khan's Oscar-nominated Lagaan combines two of India's beloved pastimes -- cinema and cricket -- to deliver one of the most entertaining and accomplished films of the last decade.
From its detailed illustration of life in the 19th century village, a farmer's faith in the gods for rains and the making of a local team unfamiliar with the concept of cricket, this fictional reimagining hits the boundary from the word go.