Chak De! India Turns 19: Vidya Malvade Reveals Finale Was Shot For 15 Nights

Nineteen years after Chak De! India, Vidya Malvade has revisited the making of the iconic sports drama, revealing how the cast trained for a year and shot the film’s climactic hockey match over 15 nights

Nineteen years after Chak De! India became one of Bollywood’s most loved sports dramas, actress Vidya Malvade has opened up about the film’s making, her memories with the cast and the extraordinary effort that went into filming its iconic hockey finale.

Malvade played Vidya Sharma, the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, in the Shah Rukh Khan-led film. As Chak De! India completed 19 years, the actress shared a video on social media reflecting on her experience and thanking audiences for continuing to remember the film and its characters.

The Cast Trained For A Year Before Shooting The Film

According to Vidya Malvade, the actresses did not simply step onto the hockey field when filming began. The entire team underwent extensive training for nearly a year to learn the sport and master the set plays required for the film.

The actress recalled that the cast initially had no idea that Chak De! India would eventually become such an iconic film. For them, the experience was largely about learning hockey, practising together and performing the sequences exactly as they had been taught.

The actresses were reportedly so immersed in their training that they often had little idea about where the cameras were positioned. Whenever the director called for a particular play, they would simply execute it and move on to the next sequence.

The training continued throughout the six-month shooting schedule. Even on days when an actress was not required for filming, she would often be on the field practising with the rest of the team.

Malvade said it was impossible for the cast to imagine at the time that audiences would continue remembering their characters nearly two decades later.

The Iconic Hockey Finale Took 15 Nights To Film

One of the biggest revelations from Vidya's video was about the making of Chak De! India's dramatic final hockey match.

The actress revealed that the team spent around six weeks in Australia for the shoot. The climactic match alone took approximately 15 nights to film.

The production also involved women from Australia and Korea, along with players representing other teams in the match sequences. For the actresses who formed the central Indian hockey team, the demanding schedule further strengthened the bond they had developed during their long training period.

Malvade described the 16 actresses as a close-knit group whose friendship has continued even after the film's release. Their connection, she said, remains strong and they continue to stay in touch through a WhatsApp group.

Looking back, Malvade also expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to play Vidya Sharma, the captain of the team. She considers the role one of the biggest strokes of luck in her career.

Vidya Lost 12,000 Photos But Still Has The Memories

While revisiting the past, Vidya also shared an unfortunate incident involving her personal photographs from the film's shoot.

She revealed that she had around 12,000 photographs from the year she spent working on Chak De! India. However, she lost all of them after her Apple laptop crashed, leaving her without a single photograph from that period.

Despite losing those precious pictures, the actress said she still carries countless memories from the shoot. From the training sessions to the six weeks in Australia and the 15-night schedule for the final match, she remembers the experience vividly.

Vidya also spoke about how touching it is that audiences continue to associate her with Vidya Sharma even after 19 years. She credited her parents' blessings, along with her own hard work, for the lasting love she has received.

Directed by Shimit Amin and produced by Aditya Chopra, Chak De! India released in 2007. Shah Rukh Khan played Kabir Khan, the coach of the Indian women's hockey team, in the critically acclaimed sports drama.