Gold: A Winning Combination

The film Gold, is about a victory that goes beyond individual goals and scores one for the country. A fictional story inspired from real-life events of 1948 Summer Olympics. Team manager Tapan Das (Akshay Kumar), dreams of establishing a winning hockey team for independent India, one that can bring back the gold medal for the newborn nation. Talkietive Review brings you the 5 Good Things to watch out for, in the film.

1) Identity Building: The idea of nation building and establishing a whole new identity of India and Indians through sports that forms the basis of the film, is a clever one. It is for the first time that we get the glimpse of the game in historical context. The birth of a nation is a very heady subject and Gold achieves in capturing the idea of modern India's identity and its place in the world, rather well.

2) The Write Way: Director Reema Kagti and Rajesh Devraj's ambitious sports story is almost a metaphor for nation building and fostering an Indian identity despite the hurdles that faced the newly independent nation. Its patriotism is not viewed through the prism of Indo-Pak rivalry. Instead, the film opts to focus on the British as the villainous rivals. Javed Akhtar's dialogues laced with sophistication and subtlety lend the heft required for the subject.

3) Team Players: Actor Akshay Kumar who has experimented with various roles ranging from a Punjabi to a Parsi takes it a notch higher and plays the role of Tapan Das, a Bengali gentleman who dreams of Independent India's hockey team bringing home the gold. His accent is not always consistent but his performance is sincere. He is ably supported by the supporting cast- newcomer Sunny Kaushal who plays Himmat Singh, Amit Sadh as Raghubir Pratap, Kunal Kapoor as hockey team captain Samrat, Vineet Kumar Singh as Imtiaz, all deliver sterling performances.

4) Background Scores: The background music of the film especially during the final match, composed by Sachin-Jigar, heightens the tension, bringing an-edge-of-seat excitement to the scene. Even though the song Ghar laayenge gold plays in the background, it gives goosebumps adding to the patriotic fervour.

5) Movie Message: Last but not the least, one of the best features in Gold, is the message it spells out loud and clear— United we stand, divided we fall. The film aptly projects the power of an India undivided by religion caste, class or any other factors. It is truly an appropriate thought to share with the film-loving audience on India's 71st Independence Day.

This review originally appeared on www.talkietive.in