The portrayal of the character inspired by Mir Ranjan Negi in the film ‘Chak De! India,’ starring Shah Rukh Khan, has drawn criticism from Annu Kapoor. The actor questioned the decision to depict the character as Muslim, differing from Negi’s real identity.
Kapoor’s remarks, made during TV9 Bharatvarsh’s Satta Sammelan, highlighted his concerns about the creative choices made in the film. He suggested that this change in character was done for commercial reasons, sparking discussion.
To provide context, ‘Chak De! India,’ released in 2007, featured Shah Rukh Khan as Kabir Khan, whose character was inspired by Mir Ranjan Negi. Director Shimit Amin and screenwriter Jaideep Sahani offered their perspectives on the filmmaking process.
Sahani explained that the script was written before they knew about Mir Ranjan Negi’s story. The primary focus was on the women’s hockey team, not a biopic of Negi. Negi was later involved as a technical advisor.
In an interview, Sahani said that the script was written a year and a half prior to the film’s making. The story was originally about women hockey players, after which Negi was contacted and agreed to train the stars.
Mir Ranjan Negi, former goalkeeper of the Indian men’s hockey team, played a part in developing ‘Chak De! India.’ He hails from Almora. He was the goalkeeper when India lost to Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games. Negi was subject to criticism and accused of being a traitor, which is reflected in the film. However, Negi himself clarified that the film was not a biographical representation but a fictional story centered on women’s hockey.