November 20, 2022
Chak De India writer Jaideep Sahni opened up on the struggles that the makers faced while making the sports drama film. Jaideep revealed that the film struggled to find a sponsor in a recent media interaction, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Jaideep shared that it was his dream to make a film on Indian women's hockey team to get them the recognition they deserved and help them get the sponsors. Jaideep also revealed that the exhibitors and distributors would not put their trust in Chak De India.
Jaideep said, "It took another 2-3 years to work on Chak De! India. It took some time to get it released because the exhibitors and distributors would say that this isn't a film. They had a set notion in mind on how films should be like."
He further added, "The condition of women's hockey team used to be so bad that time. It is quite better now. People used to steal bulbs from their toilets, and it used to be so messy. This was the national team. I started crying. I promised to make a film on them at that moment, it was my dream."
Chak De India was released in 2007. The film starred Shah Rukh Khan and was a major hit.