Nationalism is an ideology and a movement that promotes the interests of a particular nation. Nationalism in India developed during the Indian Independence movement. It is a blend of various ethnic communities, diverse in terms of religion, linguistics, and social traditions but with a common goal of exalting their nation above all others. It is the responsibility of all citizens including the government to encourage identification with the nation. Sports, Cinema, and Literature play a major role in fostering nationalism among people. Since 1950s, Bollywood movies have been stimulating a sense of nationalism and have been active tools through which public opinions are constructed. Movies on Sports have played a pivotal role in presenting what it takes to play for the country and the peak of pride and happiness one experiences while representing one’s country in any sport. The theatrical drama showcased by the Sports’ movies shapes the national psyche and also targets public consciousness. Bollywood has every now and then relied on taking advantage of an existing viewer base of sports. The use of symbols like traditional flags, the ‘men in blue’ dress code with particular language in the movie makes it much easier to instill the feeling of patriotism and nationalism. The paper aims to examine and analyze the impact of Bollywood sports’ movie Chak De India, premiered in 2007 in promoting patriotism and building an Indian national identity. Chak De India is based on Indian Women’s Hockey team winning a World Cup against all odds. It is a story of determination that is displayed by the young and inexperienced Indian Women’s Hockey team under the shrewd and watchful eye of a coach who was humiliated when he played in the capacity of goal keeper in the 1982 Asian Games and fared miserably. He was even accused of being a traitor after the unprecedented loss against Pakistan in the Finals of the Asian Games. Now, after he joined as coach for Women’s Hockey team, his only aim is to show the world that he is a true nationalist and nothing matters more than playing andinning for one’s country. Hence, the protagonist namely Kabir Khan, the coach in the movie has a deep fire within him to prove that Indians are incomparable. The paper discusses how the movie drives patriotic principles and the ways of depicting sense of nationalism. The article also analyses how sports’ movie can drive significant messages of India’s soft power to the world and also explores several life lessons that can be learned from sports’ movies

Nationalism, Bollywood movie, sports, team, life lessons, patriotism