Upala KBR (MID-DAY; June 25, 2018)

Though Akshay Kumar’s upcoming Gold is based on India bagging its first gold medal in hockey as an independent nation in the 1948 Summer Olympics, director Reema Kagti has taken the creative liberty to include a historic moment from the 1936 Berlin Olympics in her narrative. Kagti, we hear, has recreated the episode when Dhyan Chand — who led the Indian hockey contingent at the Berlin Olympics — refused to salute Adolf Hitler during the opening ceremony in a show of defiance. The American contingent was the only other country that made a similar gesture.

Says a source from the creative team of Gold, “The film is a fictional story set against the backdrop of true incidents in the run-up to the 1948 Olympics. Dhyan Chand’s defiance at the 1936 Olympics had become a talking point then, and is considered one of the defining moments in Indian sports. Given its significance, the makers felt the incident should be brought to life on the big screen. While the movie is set in the ’40s, this moment has been shown in the film in passing as it is a historical moment in the game of hockey and Indian nationalism. So they have recreated the moment where Akshay will be seen as part of the Indian contingent and British actor Jonathan Rushby will be seen as Hitler. The movie will not only shed light on a glorious chapter of Indian sports, but will also manifest how a bunch of rustic Indians went on to make an astounding political statement.”

The period drama — that also features Mouni Roy, Amit Sadh and Kunal Kapoor — traces the journey of a hockey coach, played by Kumar, who trains the Indian team at the 1948 Olympics that was held in London.

Reema Kagti’s sports-drama, which is based on India’s first Gold medal as a free nation at the London Olympics, opens on Independence Day
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 13, 2018)

After the 2012 neo-noir thriller Talaash, featuring Aamir Khan, Reema Kagti returns as director with the sports drama, Gold. She was researching subjects when her friend, Ankur Tiwari, nudged her in the direction of the 1948 Olympics and the first gold medal India won in hockey as a free nation.

Reema quickly realised that while we had won medals earlier, this one was special and in the course of her readings, stumbled on a gentleman, who had been the assistant manager of the Indian hockey squad during the 1936 Berlin Olympics and risen to the rank of the manager during the London Olympics 12 years later.

“His life has loosely inspired Akshay Kumar’s character who, in a bid to galvanise the players in Berlin, pulls out the flag of the Indian National Congress in the locker room during half-time. The flag was banned in Germany at the time but still inspired respect and all the players saluted it. That incident is a defining moment in the inception of my film,” admits the writer-director.

Gold is set to release on the 70th anniversary of the historic win of 1948 and Reema is quick to point out that while the big match of 1948 was played on August 12, the one in Berlin was played on August 15. The film focuses on two historic matches, the first one being the 1936 Summer Olympics. The final match was on the last day of the 12-day event and the Indian team scored eight goals against Germany’s one goal. “India bagged the gold medal but not as a free nation as it was still under British rule,” informs Reema, adding that shooting the emotional scenes brought out patriotic feelings on set. “The feeling of national pride that was there in the ’30s and ’40s still exists. Through one person’s journey, the film showcases how several people contributed to the wins. India’s struggle for freedom which was on in full swing at the time plays out in the backdrop.”

The film marks the first collaboration between Akshay Kumar and producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. It has been shot in Yorkshire, The Midlands and Mumbai. The ensemble cast includes Kunal Kapoor, Amit Sadh, Vineet Kumar Singh and marks the film debut of TV actress Mouni Roy.

Reema has brought on board Michael Nobbs, a former field hockey player who represented Australia at the 1984 Summer Olympics and went on to coach teams in Sydney, Japan and Russia. He also coached the Indian men’s hockey team from 2011 to 2013. “Our hockey consultant is not only well-qualified for the job but was actually coached by Anglo-Indians who migrated to Australia and instantly felt a strong connect with the script. The actors and technicians were not just learning hockey, they were also studying ‘period hockey’ because during those 12 years, not just the rules but even the sticks were different,” Reema points out.