The image looks stretched vertically! Is that really the case on the DVD too!?

almost B&W or sepia effect

chak de to dom, these yrf crooks

can anyone confirm if it indeed has DTS? as per the specs..

These are screen shots from the re-encoded and pre-processed source (taken from the original YRF DVD) - it's been de-interlaced to give a progressive frame output, compressed onto a DVD-5;

















.. taken from bwtorrents.com

Ali

BTW, that song that they showed in theatrical trailers " Hockey Doongee Ik Rakh Ke" was not in the film. There may have been a line or so, but not the one where the girls are showing a Hockey stick and saying "Hockey Doongee Ik Rakh Ke".

Film Length: 4135 meters (censor cert); 137 - 138 min. (Shouldn't it be 150 min @ 90 ft per min ??)
End credits had both DD & DTS logos.

http://www.indiafm.com/features/2007/11 ... index.html
The DVD comes with number of added features such as

- Exclusive Deleted Scenes
- The Making Of The Film
- Chak De Hockey - CNN - IBN
- Cult of Chak De - NDTV 24X7
- SRK - A Presidential Experience - CNN - IBN
- Somerset House - UK Premiere
- Music Videos: a) Kuch Kariye b) Ek Hockey Doongi Rakhke
- Making Of Hockey Doongi Rakhke
- Theatrical Trailor & Promos
- Photo Gallery - a) Posters b) Working Stills c) Player Profiles

Of course, what takes the cake is 35 minutes of DELETED SCENES which more than compensate the price of the DVD. Instead of some random shots of one off irrelevant scenes left out on the editing table, the section here has more elaborate sequences. In fact most of the 22 scenes (yes, you read it right - 22 scenes) make you wonder if they may would as well have been brought to the big screen as a part of the narrative.

The biggest beneficiary out of most of these 22 scenes is the girl who played Gul Iqbal. While the theatrical version of the film had it's focus on the likes of Preeti Sabharwals and Bindia Naiks and Komal Chautalas and Vidya Sharmas and Balbir Kaurs of the team, it was Gul Iqbal who merely had a fleeting appearance. Well, it was her role which was left out on the editing table but now has been compensated for in the DVD viewing. Watch out for the sequences where she transforms from a girl burdened by her lineage to someone who rises up the occasion and lives up to her own identity.

Deleted scenes also give a viewer a chance to know more about what happened when:

- Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) returned to the camp; now as a coach
- The three senior players didn't turn up at the camp for the first morning and the practice was halted followed by the punishment
- The girls were assessed for their strengths and weaknesses
- Girls got into conversations with different partners in the rooms
- Shah Rukh got into an uncomfortable 'bhangra' with the girls after their win over men in a hockey match
- Shah Rukh cam face to face with Vidya's husband
- Girls played antakshri during their visit to Australia
- Balbir Kaur tried teaching English to the girls from Jharkhand
- Indian and Pakistani fans brought home made food for the hockey team
- India won it's semi-final match v/s Germany (a superb not to be missed sequence!!)

MAKING OF THE FILM is different from numerous behind the scenes happenings which is showcased for number of films. Here it lasts for just 22 minutes but in this short duration it has Jaideep Sahni, Shimit Amin and Shah Rukh Khan talking about what prompted them to make the film, how screen tests were done for choosing the right girls for the right roles, how was the entire look designed, what transpired during joint script reading sessions, the real time practice for girls to fit into the character of a hockey player, Dhanraj Pillai's visit and a lot more!

Another interesting addition to the DVD is a 32 minutes open house debate CHAK DE HOCKEY on CNN-IBN which was aired after the film's release. The episode not just features most of the cast and crew of the film but also special guests like Dhanraj Pillay and Diana Eduljee along with real life members of Indian hockey team. What works for the episode is it's topical nature because it clearly narrates Dhanraj Pillay's doubts around the film really having made an impression big enough apart from it's cinematic entertainment. He argues that once the film's euphoria would settle down after a few months, it would be back to cricket for most. Though many seem to disagree with him in the episode, it seems so very true today!

Later comes a 16 minutes episode of CULT OF CHAK DE on NDTV 24X7 where three principal characters from the film are brought on face to face with the real hockey players. As the six women share their on screen and off screen experience, it is difficult to ascertain who inspired whom?

Towards the end of the DVD it is Shah Rukh Khan all the way as he shares experiences about his meeting with the President of India Mrs. Pratibha Patil for whom a special screening of the film was arranged for. Titled SRK - A PRESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE - CNN - IBN, it has Shah Rukh Khan at his verbose, exciting and overwhelmed best. Yet another evidence of his super stardom is visible when the DVD takes a viewer through the UK PREMIER at SOMERSET HOUSE.

For those looking for more behind the screens happening, there is an interesting looking MAKING OF HOCKEY DOONGI RAKHKE which not just shows what happened in front of the camera but also what happened in the recording room when each of the girls sung their own lines. Also the music videos of the song 'Ek Hockey Doongi Rakhke' as well as the cult track 'Kuch Kariye' are shown in their full versions.

In the end, what one misses though is the Director's Commentary.

I don't remember whether the theatrical screening too had dull colors like in the DVD. Perhaps that was the case ??

150 min of main feature and 35 min of deleted/ extended scenes should make 170 - 185 min total run time.
Any volunteers to sort out how much time is repeat in extended scenes to find full non-repat run time ??