Tale of India’s battle at Olympics
Movie Review: Gold Rating: 7/10 Reviewer: Fakir Hassen
UNTIL independence from Britain in 1947, India’s participation in the Olympics was under the banner of British India.
Gold tells the tale of the struggle behind winning independent India’s first medal at the Olympics in 1948 in London, although director Reema Kagti does take some cinematic licence in fictionalising some of the facts.
India had won three consecutive gold medals in the preceding Olympics but as British India, so winning again as an independent nation was a matter of great pride, prestige and patriotism.
There is one big snag though – the former British India has been divided into two states, India and Pakistan.
The players of the winning side are now in different countries and each team wants to win the coveted gold.
The task of assembling a new team is assigned to Tapan Das (Akshay Kumar), whose heart and soul is in getting that gold and seeing the new flag being hoisted officially in London as the winners take to the podium.
But his task is made difficult by a devious member of the national hockey administration, not to mention the personality clashes within the team, leading to some highly tense confrontations at times.
Akshay is excellent again as he wafts through various stages of his life that cause depression, alcoholism and elation, combining some realistic comedic moments along the way.
Two players stand out as they battle their own personal demons in vying for the same position in the side.
Imtiaz Shah (Vineet Kumar Singh) finds it difficult to drop his past aristocratic authority under the British, while still retaining the vice-captaincy of the team, and Punjabi player Himmat Singh has to prove his mettle to win over his sweetheart’s family in his village back home.
The film could have done without a few of the songs, especially one in which the lesser-educated Tapan leads the way for everyone at a posh function to abandon their formality and join in some chaotic dancing.