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.

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.