Cast of 'Gold' marks 70th anniversary of independent India’s first Olympic gold

On Sunday evening, Akshay Kumar and the makers of the upcoming sports drama, 'Gold', organised a special screening of the film at PVR Plaza in Connaught Place. 'Gold' tells a dramatised account of independent India’s first Olympic gold (which the Indian hockey team won at the 1948 London Olympics). While the film releases on August 15, the special screening was organised on August 12 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of India’s 1948 gold medal win.While the focus of the evening was on the film, what caught everyone’s attention was how the film’s leading man Akshay Kumar chose to greet the fans who had gathered outside the theatre.
Gautam Gambhir with wife Natasha
Akshay arrived on the red carpet of the screening with Mouni Roy, who is making her Hindi film debut with 'Gold'. While Mouni stayed on to pose for the shutterbugs, Akshay – with a little prodding from the production team – climbed the roof of the canopy at the entrance of the hall. As excited fans chanted his name and raised slogans like “Ek khiladi sab pe bhaari!”, Akshay posed for the cameras and waved to the fans – including those peeping from the rooftops of the buildings nearby. “Today is a very important day because today – on August 12 – 70 years ago, independent India won its first Olympic gold, and we should celebrate it every year,” Akshay later said. The actor also spoke about the current Indian hockey team which will be striving to win a gold at the upcoming Asian Games. “I have the highest expectations from them. Jaisa maine kaha, ghar laayenge gold!”
(R)Lal Krishna Advani walked in with daughter Pratibha Advani
The only surviving member of the champion 1948 side, hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr, was the guest of honour at the screening. Among the other attendees of the special screening were former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and cricketer Gautam Gambhir. A large crowd gathered outside the cinema hall even as police put up barricades to cordon off the area and closed down the road. But the crowd refused to disperse even an hour after the screening began, causing a minor traffic jam.
SABSE BADA KHILADI!: Fans present outside the hall chanted Akshay’s name and raised slogans like “Ek khiladi sab pe bhaari!” One of the fans also carried a faux medal which had Gold’s poster printed on it