When Akshay Kumar defied Hitler

Akshay Kumar

Though Akshay Kumar's upcoming Gold is based on India bagging its first gold medal in hockey as an independent nation in the 1948 Summer Olympics, director Reema Kagti has taken the creative liberty to include a historic moment from the 1936 Berlin Olympics in her narrative. Kagti, we hear, has recreated the episode when Dhyan Chand - who led the Indian hockey contingent at the Berlin Olympics - refused to salute Adolf Hitler during the opening ceremony in a show of defiance. The American contingent was the only other country that made a similar gesture.

Still from the film

Says a source from the creative team of Gold, "The film is a fictional story set against the backdrop of true incidents in the run-up to the 1948 Olympics. Dhyan Chand's defiance at the 1936 Olympics had become a talking point then, and is considered one of the defining moments in Indian sports. Given its significance, the makers felt the incident should be brought to life on the big screen.

Adolf Hitler and Dhyan Chand

While the movie is set in the '40s, this moment has been shown in the film in passing as it is a historical moment in the game of hockey and Indian nationalism. So they have recreated the moment where Akshay will be seen as part of the Indian contingent and British actor Jonathan Rushby will be seen as Hitler. The movie will not only shed light on a glorious chapter of Indian sports, but will also manifest how a bunch of rustic Indians went on to make an astounding political statement."

The period drama - that also features Mouni Roy, Amit Sadh and Kunal Kapoor - traces the journey of a hockey coach, played by Kumar, who trains the Indian team at the 1948 Olympics that was held in London.

Also read: Gold shares a glimpse of the team that dreamed to unite the nation

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