Gold
wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)
Playing the “independence + partition” card with all its strength but ineffectively, there isn’t anything else too novel about the film.
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Gold - Preview
A movie about the country’s honour and pride that releases on the country’s independence day – we already know what the makers are going for. They want to take advantage of nationalism that runs high during this time. Would that mean they believe a little less in their content? Let’s hope not.
The trailer makes Gold out to be rather repetitive – it’s genre, it’s story, the treatment, the melodrama, the protagonist’s performance – all seem like they have been seen and experienced. The only lure seems to be the story behind the event, and that I hope will be good enough. The other thing one can look forward to of course, is that it is a Reema Kagti film.
Gold releases on 15 August, 2018.
Music Reviews:
Bollyspice - "3/5"
Bollywood Hungama – "3.5/5"
Times of India - "If you like to listen to vibrant songs with interesting musical arrangements, then this album is a must-pick."
- meeta, a part of the audience
As a film about a team getting together to prepare for an Olympic event, Gold is not at all different from the other films in the genre. You have the pain-in-the-wrong-place bureaucrat, you have two good players who don’t get along with each other. The slight change here is you have a driven team manager instead of a coach. Nope, Gold isn’t really inspiring.
This one change in backdrop that could have set the film apart feels more like an external layer rather than intrinsic to the plot.
Even so, I liked it better than I thought I would. The film manages to engage you with the performances. If only there is a sore thumb sticking out in an otherwise restrained and well-performed cast, it is Akshay Kumar. And even so, he is not his usual self and hence is relatively less jarring. Other than that, there are only a couple of other characters you know a little about and they become obviously predictable too because the little you know is harped upon through the film. There is no real anchor to get the audience invested in the characters. The protagonist is either drunk or passionate about hockey and is very difficult to relate to or even find interesting.
The situations in the story, down to the details, are also as predictable as any other sports film - the opposition is hardly every given penalties, the crowds cheer against the team they are supporting, and so on. Yes, you have the climax “inspirational” speech too, only that it is even worse than the protagonist getting all jingoistic, it is a voiceover!
The only thing that sets Gold apart from other sports films is that it is set around the times when the country was going to become independent of British Rule and was partitioned into two. This setting brought in some complications which could have added a little zing and unpredictability to the story but instead, they are dusted off rather clinically. And we move on. This one change in backdrop that could have set the film apart feels more like an external layer rather than intrinsic to the plot.
But, we knew what was coming. In that sense, Gold fulfills all expectations.
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...By the time the final match in London (shot with brilliant lucidity at a hurried yet even rhythm by cinematographer Álvaro Gutiérrez) happens, we are reflexively up on our collective feet singing the national anthem along with our hockey heroes. ... full review
Thumbs up, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, GOLD is a brilliant, touching saga that would surely entertain viewers and make them hoot for the retro men in blue. At the box office, it is sure to strike Gold! Highly recommended! ... full review
Thumbs up, by Joel Kurian, Deccan Chronicle : ...Music by Sachin-Jigar, Arko and Tanishk Bagchi is impressive. Romantic number ’Naino Ne Baandhi’ and inspiring track ‘Ghar Layenge Gold’ stand out, while ‘Monobina’ and ‘Chad Gayi Hai’, though important to plot, marginally affects the pace. Other songs are good too. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...Gold is Reema Kagti's Lagaan. It has been established from the start that the Indian team is playing to avenge the two hundred years of slavery at the hands of the British. Your heart hammers against your chest when they reach the finals and then manage to win against the British team. You automatically get up when the Indian national anthem gets played at the awards ceremony and the team captain is presented with the gold medal. There's a silly grin on your face as forgetting the grim reality of today, you feel proud to be an Indian, for a few moments at least... ... full review
Thumbs up, by Jyoti Sharma Bawa, Hindustan Times : ...Overall, Gold is a well plotted drama that sometimes devolves into schmaltz and melodrama. However, it gives us solid two-and-half hours of tricolour hued entertainment. We suggest XL sized popcorn tubs. ... full review
Thumbs up, by R.M. Vijayakar, India West : ...Go for “Gold,” which I see striking gold even at the box-office. It’s a blockbuster. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Umesh Punwani, koimoi : ...All said and done, Gold isn’t Gold because of one person. As shown in the film, it’s a team work & hence it’s victorious. Akshay Kumar is unstoppable & Gold will do nothing but add yet another hit to his account. Watch it for the pure and informative entertainment. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...While recounting encounters from 1948, it's instructive, if not incredible, how this story on Indian sport remains just as relevant in 2018—looking chiefly at big victories being a result of private persistence, philanthropy, personal drive, rather than collective passion flowing from the top. This could be said about any recent, major Indian win, outside of cricket. As you can tell, we are kinda sold on Gold. Yup, you should be too. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Jaidev Hemmady, Movie Talkies : ...In conclusion, though some elements from the film may remind you of ‘Chak De India’, ‘Gold’ is worth watching on its own merits too…... full review
Thumbs up, by Rachit Gupta, Times of India : ...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. ... full review
So-So, by Ankita Chaurasia , Bollywood Life : ...Akshay Kumar’s film will make you happy if you are a patriot. But the sense of deja-vu will be difficult to shake off. It is, however, an ideal Independence Day watch for the sheer sense of patriotism that it evokes. Make a family outing out of it. ... full review
So-So, by Anupama Chopra, Film Companion : ...These inconsistencies and the exhausting length weigh down Gold. But Reema ably pulls the loose threads together in the thrilling climactic match. Nothing here matches Kabir Khan’s sattar minute speech. But there is a palpable high when the team finally coalesces into one and goes for the kill. Besides, I always get a little emotional when the tricolor flies high. I think you’ll fall for it too. . ... full review
So-So, by Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Gulf News : ...The film would have benefitted from some heavy-duty trimming and dialling down of Das’ idiosyncrasies and patronage. If this film were to contest, it’s likely to have only walked away with a bronze medal. ... full review
So-So, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...What makes the film worth a watch, despite these problems, are the flashes of well-done humour, the skirmishes between the players, and the rousing finale. When the ‘tiranga’ went up, I had tears in my eyes, and I cheered, as did everyone else in the theatre. ... full review
So-So, by Uday Bhatia, Live Mint : ...Akshay Kumar is almost vanquished by a thick Bengali accent and half-a-dozen drunken scenes; his lead turn is respectable – as most of his performances have been in the last couple of years –but I wish Kagti and Kumar had done more to lay bare the psychology of Tapan, an incurable optimist and a bit of a clown, who’s thrown into a downward spiral whenever he’s kept from serving his country. ... full review
So-So, by Kunal Guha, Mumbai Mirror : ...Films that hope to trigger a patriotic fervour invariably rely on a predictable appeal — unifying the nation over a tremendous feat that left its glorious imprint in history. In this case, that remarkable event happens to be the first gold bagged by independent India in the 1948 Summer Olympics.... full review
So-So, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...It is only when Gold moves away from Akshay Kumar's blundering Bangla and hockey humbug to become a story of grace among go-getters that it comes close to becoming the movie it should have been. ... full review
So-So, Zee News : ...Overall, with an overload of patriotic films in the recent past, "Gold" fails to offer anything exciting. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Anna MM Vertticad, annavetticadgoes2themovies : ...Gold has its occasional redeeming moments, but for the most part it just skims the surface of a landscape once examined with such depth by Chak De! India. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Suhani Singh, india today : ...But Gold's increasing tendency to take a simplistic and contrived approach to history to create thrill doesn't work. So when the rains play spoilsport in the final - Hey, it's London - and the shoes and socks are off you know the stage is set for an uplifting climax (in reality India comprehensively beat England 4-0 in the finals). And inevitably the national anthem. In Gold the standing ovation is not earned but forced. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...Hockey, at its best, is an incredibly fast-paced game and any film about the sport has got to capture that inherent momentum for it to work. Gold fails to do that, dragged down by a storyline that puts too much store by the anticipated crowd-pulling power of a Bollywood A-lister. The script, and the real events that inspired it, take a backseat in the process. As a result, what could have been a blinder of a movie barely manages to hobble its way to a climax that holds no surprises because it is a part of Indian sporting folklore. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Manisha Lakhe, Now Running.com : ...The winning feeling is ruined because the director chooses to end with a National Anthem being played, which forces the audience to stand up and watch the triumphant team watch the flag with pride. Of course they want you to be overwhelmed and cry. But this brand of patriotism makes you wish this was Chak De! India rerun instead. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...The pounding background score and on-the-nose dialogue heavily underline what is being seen on the screen. The sluggish pacing over 153 minutes contain few moments of surprise or discovery. In the end, the inevitable clamber for the exit gate is stalled in the final moments by the strains of the national anthem.... full review
Thumbs down, by Namrata Joshi, The Hindu : ...Forget the cringing Bengali stereotyping, the deliberate and desperate rolling your “o”s accent and the drunken, lifting-up-the-dhoti dance in the name of showing eccentricity, it’s the self-imposed, self-aware righteousness with which Akshay Kumar is insisting on being the Neo Mr Bharat, film after film, that is now beginning to bore and grate. Someone please rescue him from being the inspirational conscience keeper of contemporary shining India and take him back to entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. ... full review
Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: Players hitting each other on the hockey ground
- Language: Clean
- Nudity & Sexual content: One making out scene in passing
- Concept: A hockey team manager gets a team together for the Olympics around the time India got independence and partition had played havoc
- General Look and Feel: A rustic look to create a period film environment.
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![[Twitter account of Gold]](/static/images/icons/twitter_small.png){kind=icon}
![[YouTube channel of Gold]](/static/images/icons/youtube_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Wikipedia page of Gold]](/static/images/icons/wiki_small.png){kind=icon}
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Comments (11)
How can they rename the legendary Major Dhyan Chand, captain of the Team by Samrat? Who is this Samrat? Does he resonate with the iconic Dhyan Chand and his patriotism? They have unashamadely used numerous instances like the mention of Beighton Cup final between Calcutta Customs and Jhansi Heroes when asked about the best game played. Then why not correctly name the legend. Why would they want the current and future generation to think that it was someone called Samrat and not Major Dhyan Chand who led us into those victories ?? This is not at all a fitting tribute to those heroes.
So a guy whose done Baby, Airlift, Toilet, Jolly Llb2 & Padman in the last 3 years is jarring. Interesting!
@Anuj The films might or might not be good, the performance is largely jarring.
@Meeta : Can't think of an actor who can do films like Jolly, Toilet, Padman and even Airlift as well as he did. That's just your personal bias that speaks!
@Meeta : Your words on Akshay for Jolly and Airlift :
"Akshay Kumar (Jolly) on the other hand merges with the background – in a good way. Even if I discount my bias towards “stars” who tone their stardom down, Akshay Kumar makes you believe equally his helplessness and his over-confidence despite some very filmy lines."
"Akshay Kumar is always a pleasure to watch when he is in non-hero mode. Even here, when he gets into a fist-fight, he is a common man reacting to something that got to him."
~you basically contradict yourself when you call him "mostly jarring" or over the top.
Undoubtedly Meeta is agenda driven than an independent reviewer. I wonder what makes ppl even write reviews without balance of thoughts. No point of discussing such folks too much on IMDB. The [comment partially delete because it involved name-calling] have landed on IMDB also.
Kanishka seems to be too lost. Common...so you expect a movie inspired by certain events of the past, name the characters as in real life? He needs some help...pls.
@Anuj I am only human, full of biases and contradictions. I would love to be 100% unbiased and never ever contradict myself. Till then, I do the next best thing, be aware of my biases and not let them affect my opinion on issues, films, etc. And am grateful to the people who point out contradictions.
In this case, I remembered that I had liked Akshay Kumar in a couple of films recently, but couldn't recall at the top of my head. Tried to look them up, couldn't find them because I was in a rush while replying to your comment. Thank you for looking them up for me. I would say those examples of when I liked his performance are me being able to set my bias aside and not impact my opinion. In fact, I love it when I enjoy the work of actors/artistes whose work I am not very fond of otherwise. (I have never found Akshay Kumar a good actor, right from his Khiladi and Mohra days. But, I still strive to not let that impact my opinion of his next film. Have to make similar efforts for Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and even Aamir Khan some times.)
In that case, I am not contradicting myself. :)
@Meeta: Your statement makes it evident that you dislike an artists' performance only & solely because they're commercially star driven performers who're expected to carry a film on their shoulders. While the sole & only reason you admire Rajkumar Rao & Manoj Bajpai (both extremely limited & one dimensional actors imo) is because they conform to our definition of being the so called "character artists". That's some extreme insane level of bias which is bound to throw objectivity out of the window because the likes of Bajpai, Rao or even the usually wonderful Irfan cannot perform in films like Dangal, Chak De, Jolly Llb2 or Jodha Akbar. Performers are best identified when evaluated objectively on a film to film basis, leaving personal bias aside. The precise reason why I quite appreciate the usually over rated & hamming Ranbir Kapoor in Sanju & Raajneeti & completely disliked the otherwise brilliant Aamir in ridiculous films like Fanaa, Ghajini & Dhoom 3.
@Anuj of course, I like some actors better than others and usually the actors whose movies I look forward to are of those who are more realistic than star-ry. However, for all actors, including those whose movies I look forward to - I am sure I haven't liked ALL their films, even though I might have liked their performance. Which is what you seem to be saying about yourself too. So, I don't see the problem here.
Akshay Kumar always rocks.. I love him a lot..
Time and again I have stated that I am not a big fan of sports based films. For the simple reason that we know exactly how they are going to pan out. Start off with a high point, then go down on one or more difficulties only to be resilient and bounce back at the end with a Gold.
No difference than with Gold. Yes, it is patriotic - in few doses. But has nothing more than that.
Coming to the harsh criticism by @Kanishka Chaudry - did it ever occur to you Kanishka that there could have been issues to obtain rights to mention somebody? Or that the film, even though based in a real life period, could have lot of fictional additions to make it difficult to associate names of real life people with fictional events? Given the nonsensical level of political correctness going on India by intellectuals (take Kanishka's post for example) that the makers of the film preferred to avoid all controversy by referring to a legend. That could be just one explanation. I am sure there could be many more. So dear Kanishka (and all other intellectuals), stop ranting and supposing and alleging at anything and everything that you don't like. There could well be an explanation, if only you would care to look for it.
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