Actor Vivan Bhathena, praised for his performance in the recently released film ‘120 Bahadur’, has opened up about his memorable experience working on the cult classic ‘Chak De! India’.
During promotions for ‘120 Bahadur’, Bhathena reflected on his journey, noting that his background in theatre provided a unique perspective on filmmaking.
He shared, “For me, ‘Chak De! India’ was this very exciting chapter. I was this new kid, we’re doing this big Adi Chopra film. And it was a wonderful time where I got to work with Sagarika Ghatge, and Sagarika was just starting also. And there’s Shah Rukh Khan in the film and I’m part of it. And it was a huge opportunity for me to showcase myself and do what I could.”
Bhathena elaborated on the challenges he faced, saying, “It was a great learning experience as an actor because I came from stage and started improvising a lot. But I couldn’t improvise on this one. I had to stick to the lines because they were written by Jaideep Sahni, and it was made sure that his lines were never changed. So, I had to work within a lot of confines. Then we had Shimit Amin, who was very particular about what he wanted. There were takes on, takes on, takes on, takes on, where he would make sure that he got exactly what he wanted, and he would not let go until he got it.”
‘Chak De! India’ is a landmark Hindi sports drama that masterfully blends patriotism with personal redemption. The film features Shah Rukh Khan as Kabir Khan, a disgraced former hockey captain who returns as coach of the Indian women’s team, facing prejudice, politics, and internal divisions. It powerfully addresses issues like gender bias, regionalism, and the immense pressure of representing the nation.