Gold Review: Gold Is An Exemplary Independence Day Treat And Will Give You Tears Of Pride And Patriotism Due To Its Realistic Storyline And Performances!

Gold Review: Gold Is An Exemplary Independence Day Treat And Will Give You Tears Of Pride And Patriotism Due To Its Realistic Storyline And Performances!
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Mouni Roy, Kunal Kapoor, Amit Sadh, Sunny Kaushal, Vineet Singh 
Directed By: Reema Kagti
3.5/5 stars

The moment when you see your national flag hoisted and your national song being played in an international platform for the whole world to see, the thought itself is enough to evoke a sense of pride and nerve wrecking goose bumps in your body. Gold intensifies this emotion when the whole setting where the latter takes place is the 1948 Olympics held in London where the Indian hockey team remained victorious not only to win the Gold medal but to win the respect and integrity of their nation breaking the shackles of slavery and oppression. The game which was played right a year after India became an independent nation becomes all the more historic because it was our country’s first win as an independent nation. The film showcases an extraordinary journey of this team which was much lesser known to all in spite of its inspiring victory against the British in the 1948 Olympics and also their emerging victorious against the British in getting the required requital for the 200 years of slavery India spent under the British rule.

Director Reema Kagti recreates intricately this glorious moment of Independent India by transmitting us literally to that era of slavery, struggle, hardships and victory. The performance by the entire cast was realistic and praiseworthy. Akshay Kumar as the feisty Tapan Das who dreams of his team playing as an independent nation is at his entertaining, patriotic, inspiring and endearing best. Akshay Kumar does not fail to raise the bar of his performance a notch higher but somehow could have been more realistic with the sometimes loose Bengali accent. Kunal Kapoor is inspirational, charismatic as Samrat, the coach of the team but could’ve been given a stronger screen presence. Vineet Kumar Singh displays a yet another powerful performance, his character embodying brotherhood and unity between India and Pakistan. Amit Sadh steals the show with his charm and magnetic screen presence as the proud centre forward player Raghubir who the lesson of teamwork and humility during the due course of the game. Sunny Kaushal is a powerful spectacle as the skilled but hot headed player Himmat Singh. Not to mention Sunny being the brother of Vicky Kaushal who has also been winning several accolades for his recent performances has proved that talent runs in the genes of the Kaushal brothers. Mouni Roy looked endearing as the excitable and charming Monobina but her performances looked a bit overstressed at times. 

Gold is more than just a mere patriotic film. It also showcases the backdrop of the brutality and the aftermath of the partition and the World War and its repercussions on the lives of several Indians. It displays that how one mere decision of separating our country lead to the sense of detachment and estrangement of unity and humanity. The costumes and the location settings are realistic in depicting that era. The cinematography by Alvaro Gutierrez is stunning and praiseworthy. The game shown evokes a sense of pride and some nerve wrenching moments. There is some lack of interplay and emotion building between the characters and the very nuances or the backdrop of the formation of the team is missing. Apart from some minute loopholes in the film, the film stands out with its gritty patriotic message. However the soundtracks especially songs like ‘Chad Gayi Hain’ and ‘Naino Ne Bandhi’ fail to create an impression due to their lack of captivating rhythm and shabby placements. The film had some scope of a more powerful editing and screenplay which looked a little bit rushed but overall it leads your emotions rolling as it also teaches you a valuable lesson of unity and teamwork . Not to forget moments like the Pakistani and the British crowd also cheering for Team India makes those scenes joyful and high on ecstasy.  Watch Gold for a spectacular visual delight of patriotism and pride on this occasion of Independence Day.