19 years after 'Chak De! India' released, Vidya Malavade is overwhelmed by its popularity. She shares how people still remember her as Vidya Sharma and recalls watching 'Don' with Shah Rukh Khan, calling the experience surreal.
Nineteen years after 'Chak De! India' was released, actor Vidya Malavade continues to be overwhelmed by the film's enduring popularity and the affection audiences have for its characters. Looking back at the Shah Rukh Khan starrer, Malavade told ANI that she is amazed that people still remember her as captain Vidya Sharma.
"I am amazed! I put up a post on that day because I was so overwhelmed. 19 years on, and I still get messages from people saying, 'Oh, it's 19 years!' And, you know, sometimes I forget; it's been so many years, 18 years or 19 or how many," Malavade said, referring to her social media post celebrating the film's 19th anniversary. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vidya S Malavade (@vidyamalavade) "It's unbelievable in today's day and age where people don't even remember names of films; they still remember me by "Vidya Sharma, India." I just feel like 'Chak De!' is like a blessing that never stops giving," she said.
Recalling a 'surreal' moment with SRK
Vidya Malavade also recalled a memorable moment involving Shah Rukh Khan during the making of 'Chak De! India'. Around the time Khan's 'Don' was released, Khan arranged a special screening for them, she shared.
"He was really sweet; he organised a screening for all the girls, and I literally sat next to him and watched his film. It was quite surreal because I was like, 'Okay, he's right there on screen in front of me, and he's also sitting in live flesh and blood right next to me.' It was just quite amazing. It was surreal, actually," Malavade recalled.
A bond for life
The actor also reflected on the bond formed among the women who played members of the Indian women's hockey team. "There are so many memories! We shot over six months, but we were training together another six months, so it's almost a year that we were together," she recalled.
She said the friendship formed during that period has continued nearly two decades later, with the cast still staying connected through their group and keeping track of one another's lives. "We are still in touch with each other because I think that one year... there is a certain bond and it's like, 'Oh, we've got to meet again, let's talk again, let's sit together,'" she said.
Directed by Shimit Amin, 'Chak De! India' was made under the banner of YRF and was produced by Aditya Chopra. In the film, SRK played the role of Kabir Khan, who was the coach of the Indian women's hockey team. (ANI)
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