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Kabir Khan is hardly shown doing anything Islamic in the film

Shahrukh Khan has essayed different roles throughout his filmy career, but Chak De! India was the first time he played a Muslim character. Strangely though, there is hardly any overt indication that his character Kabir is a Muslim. He doesn’t wear traditional Islamic caps, nor does he visit a mosque. He does not expound on the Quran the way he did much later in My Name Is Khan. When you watch the movie on YouTube Boxoffice, you’ll notice this too. In fact, the only time we see him doing anything Islamic, is when he utters a prayer while shining his medal. And then there is the way he is repeatedly called Kabir Khan from the first scene till the last, by the commentators. Kabir’s religion is understated – it’s just one of the points the film tries to make without harping on it. Unlike 3 Idiots and even MNIK, Chak De’s agenda has more than one point, and Jaideep Sahni refuses to keep bombarding your brains with them – whether it’s women’s participation in sports, the significance of our national sport hockey, or how biased we are when it comes to our fellow Indians who are Muslim. The way Kabir’s religion is presented is representative of this aspect of the film.

Eager to watch the movie? Click here to watch Chak De! India