It has been a coup of sorts. When everyone expected either the Bollywood baadshah or the Kollywood superstar to walk away with the ‘Indian of the Year’ award for entertainment, it ultimately turned out to be the writer-director duo of Jaideep Sahni and Shimit Amin to walk away with glory. The ‘CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for Entertainment 2007’ was given recently to this duo that pulled off the improbable with their highly-entertaining Chak De India. Consider this. A Bollywood film with a hero who doesn’t have a romantic interest, a bunch of new faces and a story that revolves around hockey, that too, women’s hockey. Any takers? Well, none to start with. Every critic was eagerly waiting to write off this film. Trade pundits were certain that even Shah Rukh Khan could not help the film recover it costs. Ultimately, the film got released and the naysayers had to eat humble pie. Chak De India was not only among the most successful films of the year, it also became a national anthem. And the credit for this tremendous success belongs entirely to the duo of Shimit Amin and Jaideep Sahni. The film broke most conventions and was truly pathbreaking. To highlight the plight of the national game, that too successfully, is no mean task. That is what this duo achieved, much to the bewilderment of trade pundits. The duo was among the contenders for the prestigious award. Even here, the odds were heavily against them. The favourites were the mighty Shah Rukh Khan who gave back-to-back blockbuster last years to reinforce that he is Bollywood’s biggest star and the charismatic Rajinikanth, whose Sivaji was much-talked-about across the length and breadth of the country. To be recognised ahead of such stalwarts is no mean task. Galatta.com wishes Shimit Amin and Jaideep Sahni the very best for winning this prestigious award with their sincere and entertaining film.