Mir Ranjan Negi is the inspiration behind SRK’s character in Chak De! India- the man who rose again after being termed a traitor.
When Kabir Khan leaves his house after he is termed a ‘ gaddar ’ in Chak De! India, there was one man in the audience who was reliving those bitter moments all over again.
Meet Mir Ranjan Negi, the inspiration behind Kabir Khan’s character in the film and the man who was once branded a traitor by his own countrymen.
Says Mir about India’s loss in the 1982 Asian Games against Pakistan, for which he was held responsible. “It has been a very long journey for me. Frankly, after the 1982 World Cup set-back, it took me a long time to get back to work again. I had to suffer so much for no reason. The movie couldn’t reveal the true extent of my sufferings,” he says.
But otherwise, has the movie been true to his story? “The movie has done justice to the reality. There have been a few changes here and there, but otherwise the film tells the truth,” he says.
Mir, who went on to successfully coach Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams, remembers the shooting of the film distinctly.
“I was with them throughout. Some of the girls were playing hockey for the first time but they picked up really fast. We would practice for 14-15 hours a day. And it was a pleasure to work with Shah Rukh Khan. I don’t think any other actor would have done justice to this role,” he says.
But one shot he remembers very fondly from the film is the climax. “Our goalie in the Indian team, Helen Mary, called me after watching the movie and said SRK on screen did justice to Mir in real life. In the film, it is Kabir who signals to Vidya Sharma about how to stop the goal. This is what leads to the team’s victory,” he smiles.
So what happened between Helen Mary and Mir that helped India clinch the match? “I told her to have faith in me and that, as a coach, I had faith in her,” he remembers. So, what’s next on Mir’s plate? “Right now I am getting used to all the attention that I am receiving. I have also completed my autobiography. The Indian Women’s Hockey Federation secretary Amrit Bose had also approached me to coach the Indian women’s hockey team again. Let’s see...”
Maybe it will be Chak De! India all over again!!
Source: TOI
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