Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; August 5, 2018)

Akshay Kumar is the original khiladi of Bollywood. He has been an advocate of martial arts, fitness and sports right through his 27-year-long career. His latest offering, Gold, directed by Reema Kagti, is a sports drama, based on the Indian hockey team winning its first gold medal after independence. This period film has given the actor new insights into the world of sporting history. In a candid conversation with BT, he shares his opinions on telling stories that are relevant and have the power to strike new conversations.

The story of Gold is about India winning its first gold medal as an independent nation at the 1948 Olympics. It also brings forth interesting anecdotes about India’s history, which not many people are aware of. Is that what intrigued you to take up the project?
When I first heard the script, I had no clue that there is history behind India winning its first gold medal as an independent nation. The story of Gold begins in 1936, a period when our country was referred to as British India. During that phase, we used to play hockey, but we also used to participate in international tournaments like the 1936 Berlin Olympics. I was fascinated to discover the story of Adolf Hitler meeting Dhyan Chand. Hitler was watching India play against Germany and we beat them in the final to win gold. Later, Hitler called Dhyan Chand for a meeting and offered him a chance to join the German Army, impressed with his abilities on the hockey field. These nuggets of Indian history really piqued my interest.

Often, such fascinating stories are lost in the pages of history. Do you think cinema is a great medium to bring these stories to light?
That’s the idea. Before we made Airlift (2016), neither the common public nor popular media outlets knew about this extraordinary operation where the Indian government flew out 1,70,000 people from a foreign country. It was a world record of sorts, but no one spoke about it in daily conversation. After the film released, there were a hundred articles published on the same topic. Also, in my opinion, I always feel visuals create a bigger impact as opposed to reading. When it comes to recalling memories, a person often does better with visual memories than with something that they may have read in a book or an article.

The story of Gold has a strong sentiment of patriotism. Do you think that will work in its favour, given that it’s also releasing on Independence Day?
At the 1948 Olympics, India won all its matches and as fate would have it, we faced England in the finals in London. It basically came down to being a match between ex-slaves and their ex-masters. The British ruled us for 200 years. The administration members, coaches and a few players, who used to represent British India, were now part of the English team. The only thing that they were focusing on was that they could not lose this match to India. And that sentiment is what makes the story of Gold so fascinating. We beat them at their own game. How many Indians today know about this wonderful sporting achievement from 70 years ago? That is exactly what attracted me to this film, and I am hoping it will work for the audience, too.

While promoting the film, you referred to your character, Tapan Das, as your quirkiest role yet. What’s so unique about him?
He’s a controversial figure. He drinks and even cheats people, but at the end of the day, he’s a normal man with his own set of flaws. He’s the manager of the team. He gets the team together, but he’s also the guy who picks up the hockey sticks for the players. Uss zamane mein, manager hi sab kuch karta tha. Tab paisa kahan tha, ki entourage leke aayenge. So, the manager used to haul the entire kit, including 12 hockey sticks, the balls and pads.

Did you ever play hockey as a young man? What are your experiences with the sport?
I am familiar with hockey because I used to play it back in my school days.

For decades of your career, you were known as an action hero and you took your time to break away from that image to do the kind of cinema you are doing today. But would you say that these very aspects of your life — fitness and discipline — have helped you achieve what you have today?
Whatever I have achieved in this profession and the film industry is all thanks to martial arts and sports. Mujhe toh acting ka ‘A’ bhi nahin aata tha. Abhi bhi nahin aata hai, abhi bhi main seekh hi raha hoon (laughs). I made a career as an action star because I was good at martial arts and playing sports gave me an athletic frame. All the credit for this goes to my father, who understood that his boy wasn’t interested in academics. He acknowledged the fact that I had an interest in sports and he encouraged me to follow my passion. He pushed me in the right direction. It’s important that parents understand and acknowledge their children’s passion and interest, however different it might be. It’s imperative that they let their child pursue whatever his or her heart desires.

Your films have been able to create a social impact and bring about a change, even if it’s just the beginning. How does the feeling of making a film that brings social awareness compare with the highs of your movie’s box-office achievements?
What is the box-office figure of Pad Man? Rs 80 crores? No! I consider Pad Man to be my biggest hit yet. You know why? With the GST exemption on sanitary pads, women who are using it and even manufacturers across the country will save crores of rupees every single day, thanks to this rebate. Do the math. Over a month, that must amount to crores of rupees. That’s a monetary collection that matters. That is the business that excites me and gives me fulfilment. That is why I am happy to make movies that bring about a change. I can easily make a Rowdy Rathore 2 and earn three times the money that I earn with a Pad Man, but I’d rather make meaningful cinema.

Like your previous films that opened new conversations in society, do you hope Gold will do something similar for the world of Indian sports and sportspersons? Yes, cricketers are some of the country’s biggest and wealthiest stars, but for all other sports, the fame and money isn’t all that great.
I was at an awards show in Delhi recently, where the organisers had called in a few sportspersons and jawans. As a token of appreciation, the organisers wanted to give them a medal and certificate. I was standing on stage and distributing the tokens of honour. When I saw some of them, it seemed like it was a struggle for them to even reach Delhi. A lot of them didn’t come from economically privileged backgrounds. It’s commendable that we’re rewarding sportsmen with respect, but in all honesty, how will that medal and certificate help those people run their kitchens? At that moment, I announced a monetary reward and requested the organisers to change their format and award such heroes with cheques. That small amount might actually be the livelihood of that person’s family for the next three-four months. It is important that we celebrate our achievers and heroes by helping them out in ways that matter. In the end, everyone needs money to survive. Anyone who says that he doesn’t need money to be happy is lying. You need money to fulfill your basic needs.