Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chak De India’ Had Boosted 1.5x Sales Of Hockey Sticks When Compared To Cricket Bats

Shah Rukh Khan’s sports drama Chak De! India was hit the theatres 14 years ago. The film was inspired by the Indian women’s national field hockey team winning the 2002 commonwealth games. It also explored various themes like feminism and sexism, the legacy of the partition of India, racial and religious bigotry, and ethnic and regional prejudice.

The film not only achieved an incredible feat in terms of box office but also shifted the influence on youngsters from hairstyle to hockey sticks. Not many know that the film achieved the impossible. Reportedly, when the film was released on August 10 in a span of two weeks hockey sticks have outsold cricket bats.

After Shah Rukh Khan and his girl gang hit the cinema halls, demand for hockey equipment had gone up. Interestingly many first-time buyers have been girls. As reported by The Telegraph, Harish Sachdev, director of Bodyline Sports in West Bengal, said, “We have sold about 30 hockey sticks in 10 days. In the same period, only 20-odd cricket bats were sold. On the day the film was released, there were many kids who came to our store to pick up a hockey stick. In the past few days, we have had teenagers and older people buying the equipment.”