Gold: The Dream That United Our Nation is a 2018 Indian period-sports drama film written and directed by Reema Kagti and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. It is based on the journey of India’s first national hockey team to the 1948 Summer Olympics and stars Akshay Kumar as Tapan Das, the man who won India its first gold medal in the 1948 Summer Olympics. Mouni Roy, in her Bollywood film debut, Amit Sadh, Vineet Kumar Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Sunny Kaushal and Nikita Dutta feature in supporting roles.
Gold was theatrically released in India on 15 August 2018, India’s Independence Day. It received generally positive reviews; critics particularly praised the film’s narrative and performances of the star cast. Critically and commercially successful, the film grossed 158 crore (US$21 million) at the box office. Gold also became the first Bollywood film to be released in Saudi Arabia. It was also released in Chinese theatres on 13 December 2019.
The story begins around the time of the Berlin Olympics in 1936, when the Indian team played the hockey finals against Germany. Despite the Germans attempting to play rough against the Indian team, the Indians start winning in the second half, when the team’s assistant manager, Tapan Das (Akshay Kumar), shows them the Indian Flag during the half time break. When the captain Samrat (Kunal Kapoor) and team receive the gold medal, the British National Anthem is played and the flag of British India is hoisted, but the Indian team promise themselves that they will win a Gold medal once again on behalf of their motherland, after India gets Independence.
The subsequent Olympics are cancelled because of World War II. After the war, a drunk and spoiled Tapan roams and loses in several bets but sobers up when he gets the news that the next Olympics will be held in London in 1948. He holds aspirations of making India play hockey as a free country, coaching a novice hockey team to earn independent India’s first Olympic gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
Tapan now struggles to win his position as a joint manager of the team and promises to bring up best players from the new generation. He manages to convince Mr. Wadia, and goes out for his work back. He meets the former hockey captain Samrat, now retired, to lead to guide the team. But Samrat refuses and suggests teammate Imtiaz Ali Shah (Vineet Kumar Singh). Imtiaz, a great contributor of the 1936 Olympics along with Samrat, was a soldier for Indian National Army. Tapan meets Imtiaz and they decide to continue their dream and oath to win the gold medal for an independent India. With Independence for India looming on the horizon, Tapan travels to different parts of India to scout for the best players for the team.