Go for ”˜Gold’ says director Reema Kagti
By Neeru Saluja
As India celebrated it’s 72nd Independence Day, the movie ”˜Gold’ opened to houseful theatres with critics praising the movie’s nationalistic zeal.
With the film, critics are also praising director Reema Kagti’s style of storytelling. Though ”˜Gold’ is her third film after ”˜Honeymoon Travels’ and ”˜Talaash’, Reema is not a novice to the film industry as she worked as an assistant director with leading directors like Farhan Akhtar, Ashutosh Gowariker and Mira Nair.
The historical sports drama film is based on the national hockey’s team win at the 1948 Summer Olympics. A story that celebrates our nation’s first post-independence medal, it was also a story that Reema had in her mind since around a decade.
As we talked to her in an interview, she started telling us about her journey with ”˜Gold’ that started a decade ago. “I started reading about the historic win in 2008 and once I started researching and gathering material about the win, it really struck me. That was when my journey with ”˜Gold’ started and I decided to make this film,” reveals Reema.
After deciding the plot for her next film, came the choice of the lead actors. The film brings together an ensemble cast of Akshay Kumar, Mouni Roy, Kunal Kapoor and Amit Sadh. As Akshay nails the role of Tapan Das, the choice for the lead role couldn’t have been better. “Akshay was always my first choice. He has done a superb job. All my pivotal roles were my preferred choice and they have taken the characters to a different level,” says Reema.
Making a periodic drama is always a challenge and this film was no less. “The main challenge was to find locations that looked authentic and maintained a state that we could shoot in. We were fortunate enough to find such locations for the film,” states Reema.
So how has she grown as a director with this film? “I have to take a step away from my film to answer this! I came to Mumbai 20-25 years and the industry has been a home to me. I hope I’m getting better with each project”.
Reema is also known as a screenwriter closely working with Zoya Akhtar on her films. So will the director continue writing? “Direction is an extension of writing for me. The process is about putting something on paper and then translating those words on screen. It’s all about telling a story,” tells Reema.
As we wish Reema the best for her film, she tells us about the significance of the title and the message the film carries. “Gold not only signifies the medal they won, but is inspired by many hockey legends that inspired me. The film carries a message relevant to today, which is of unity and patriotism. I hope the people leave the theatre inspired to make India a better country”.
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