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It has been two weeks since Akshay Kumar starrer 'Gold' hit the screen. The sports feature chronicles around the path to independent India's first gold medal at the Olympics. The film evokes the emotions of patriotism, nostalgia and pride in all individuals.
Gold is centred around the determination of Indian Team Manager (portrayed by Akshay Kumar) to win an Olympic Gold in the backyard of Great Britain, their previous coloniser, defeating them at their home in front of their public and unfurl independent India's flag in the host country. While the film revolves around authentic events, the factual details differ from the real legend in certain places.
We have a look at five such instances, wherein Gold deviates from the real story :
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Note: The story of the film is well known by now due to the extensive promotions. This piece does not functions as a spoiler, as the film is about the journey of Team India, which has not been discussed here.
#1 Samrat's inspiration from Major Dhyan Chand
Samrat is the most celebrated player in Gold, who is the captain of the Indian team in 1936 when the film kicks off. He is shown as the heart and soul of the team, and people absolutely go berserk upon seeing him.
It is due to the never-say-die spirit of Samrat that India win the 1936 Berlin Olympics Gold in Hockey. There is quite a buzz when he enters the game circuit, even after retiring.
The inspiration of the character is taken from none other than the legendary 'Major Dhyan Chand'. Regarded as the Hockey Wizard, Chand captivated one and all with his on-field mastery. Though Team India comprised of adeptly skilled players, Dhyan Chand clearly stood out.
Such was his aura, that he is believed to have stunned Adolf Hitler with his proficient exhibits. The Dutch were so awestruck by his brilliance, that on one occasion they broke his stick to see whether there was a magnet inside it ! Now that's incredible!
#2 The ' Lesson in Ball Control ' to Germans
The film kicks off against the backdrop of 1936 Berlin Olympics, with India and Germany facing each other in the summit clash. It highlights the rough and aggressive game played by the Germans and the inclination of the match officials towards the hosts.
The movie depicts the German goalkeeper brutally shoving away Samrat, the character inspired by Major Dhyan Chand. At this point, India was trailing by two goals. It shows Samrat's bleeding nose, an injury which fires him up to blast away the opposition with his dexterous stickwork, netting the ball on five occasions.
However, legend says that India never trailed Germany, although the home side restricted their lead to one goal till half time.
Major Dhyan Chand lost a tooth in a collision with the particularly aggressive Germany goalkeeper Tito Warnholtz, which particularly fumed him up. It was at this point that the Hockey Wizard instructed his players to teach the Germans a 'Lesson in Ball Control '. The Indians took the ball in the German court, only to backpedal, also scoring 8 goals in the process.
#3 The Ace of Spade - Balbir Singh Sr
The character of Himmat Singh, a centre forward who played for Punjab Police has been inspired from hockey veteran Balbir Singh Sr. The film depicts him being sidelined till the business end of the tournament, as India wanted to conserve him as the ' Ace of Spade' . He takes field only after the half time of final, following an intense discussion in the dressing room.
As per the facts, Balbir Singh Sr did feature in a group match against Argentina, wherein India dominated with a 9-1 result. The then 24-year old centre forward stole the show with 6 goals. However, he was not given a chance in the matches that followed, and took field again only in the summit clash against England.
Interestingly, Indian High Commissioner Krishna Menon had an informal chat with the team a night before the final. It is believed due to the occurrence of this event, the Punjab centre-forward took field the following day.
And lo ! Singh certainly vindicated the faith shown on him by setting the stage blitz in the final, registering his name twice on the scoresheet.
#4 Tapan Das - A Blend of Two Personalities
The decade of 1940s- The world was fighting a catastrophic war. There were numerous protests and agitations in the European colonies against their colonisers. 400 million people in India were dreaming of their independence.
At that point of time, two individuals were dreaming of unfurling their independent flag in the land of their colonisers. Those two men were Kishan Lal, the captain and AC Chatterjee, the Manager of Team India.
The role essayed by Akshay Kumar in the film is of Tapan Das, a frantic and patriotic Bengali who aspires independent India to win an Olympic Gold under her own flag.
He is shown as a source of constant support and motivation for the team, and also keeps himself self-motivated by the thought of national glory.
However, the two personalities from whom the character stems from are Kishan Lal and AC Chatterjee, the captain and manager respectively of the campaign.
These were the two individuals who fought against all the odds, built a new team after partition and instilled the feelings of hope and courage in the side.
Notably, the idea of playing bare-legged in the final on a muddy turf was also the brainchild of Kishan Lal.
#4 The Scoreline of the 1948 Olympic Final
The climax of the film zeroes in on India's campaign in the 1948 London Olympics. It ends on the note of a melodramatic clash between India and Great Britain, instilling emotions of pride and patriotism.
The film depicts the British being in a commanding position in most of the game, and Team India scripting a dramatic comeback to win the historic gold medal.
However, as legend says, India were never subject to any sort of dominance by the host nation. India had taken a lead of two goals inside 15 minutes courtesy the deft stickwork of Balbir Singh Sr, and extended the lead further by two more goals in the second half.
India comfortably defeated Great Britain by a margin of 4-0, thriving in the face of alien, hostile conditions.
