Review of movie Gold

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Rating:4/5 

There’s no greater pride in sport than to see your country’s flag being hoisted on an international stage. That sentiment gets amplified, when the setup is at the 1948 Olympics in London, where the Indian hockey team had to prove that their dominance in the sport from 1936 to 1948, wasn’t by mere chance. And what makes this sentiment stronger and the win historic, is the fact that the game was played just a year after India became a free country. ‘Gold’ recreates the journey of this spirited and lesser-known team that upstaged the British at the 1948 Olympics and made a statement against the English subjugation of 200 years.

The film begins in 1936, when India made big impact in world hockey and won its third consecutive gold at the Berlin Olympics. This team was called British India team and was managed by the British Raj. One wily and determined Bengali junior manager of the British India team, took on the audacious task to form a new team for free India to participate at the 1948 Olympics in London. His dream was to see the Indian flag furling high on British soil, which would be a moment of pride for every Indian.

Reema Kagti tells an insightful and entertaining story and take us back to that moment in history, which is not often spoken about or celebrated. Performances by the entire ensemble cast are spectacular. Akshay as the dhoti clad team manager (often referred to as Bangali), brings in a great deal of physical as well as gag-driven humour to his performance, but he’s also able to change gears in dramatic scenes with ease. Kunal Kapoor holds own as a senior player and later on a coach of the Indian team in a restrained but solid performance. Vineet Kumar Singh delivers a knockout performance once again. Amit Sadh is fantastic as an uptight prince who learns some valuable lessons in life while being the Vice Captain of the team. Sunny Kaushal, as a player with a heart and hot temper, shows a spark of brilliance. Mouni Roy, as the feisty Bengali wife, handles her brief role effortlessly.

‘Gold’ isn’t just a film on hockey, it’s also a period film that recreates an era long forgotten. More than that, it’s reminds us of the painful reality of partition and how that brutally tore apart our nation. The production design and costumes, which play an integral part in depicting the era, are top notch. The cinematography and the background score stand out with excellent finesse and technique. The hockey matches create a great amount of thrill, and even though you know the end result, you will find yourself sitting at the edge of your seat and rooting for team India all the way. The first half is slow paced and the film takes quite a while to establish the characters and set up the plot. The editing could have been a lot more taut and the narrative could have done without the songs Chad Gayi Hai and Naino Ne Baandhi.

The emotions run high in the film, as a handful of Indians put their personal differences aside to make the country proud. As we witness India winning its first gold as a free nation, you also see the Pakistani players cheer for Indians playing on the field. Moments like this, make ‘Gold’ a film which is more just a sports drama. This one is surely worth its weight in gold.