Akshay Kumar’s 5 best real-life patriotic characters 5 : Bollywood News
Akshay Kumar’s long list of patriotic dramas can be basically split into two: the less-in-quantum fictional ones (like Sooryavanshi) and the many more real-life characters he has essayed. Among the latter, there is a further division: there are those who did something notable for society (Pad-Man, Mission Raniganj) and the rest who were involved in directing serving the nation.
Akshay Kumar’s 5 best real-life patriotic characters
The top star invariably modified the characters’ names (and sometimes locations) so that the lack of physical resemblance did not become an obstacle. It also made for convenience in Akshay’s three to four films a year routine, enabled quick shoots and post-production and a timely scheduled release (August 15 and January 26 were his dates of choice) and did not play havoc with his love for fitness. For Akshay never put on or lost weight or muscle for such roles even as he highlighted the parts played by these key men whose stories and sacrifices for the nation would never otherwise have been told and known.
Here’s looking at the five standout real characters that the superstar has played since he decided on cinematically projecting national interests and lesser-known patriots more prolifically than any other star of our times!
Airlift (2016)
Businessman Ranjit Katyal (Akshay Kumar), a big name in Kuwaiti Indian circles with contacts even at the top level in Iraq, is at the forefront in bringing all the Indians together when Saddam Hussein’s troops invaded Kuwait and begin killing its citizens in the 1990 Gulf. War. He decides to take responsibility for over a thousand employees and their family members and later for every Indian there, when he could have instead flown to safety himself with his wife and daughter. While Delhi takes its time, Katyal uses all his ingenuity to speed things up and find ways of survival.
The real person, on whom Katyal was based, was Matthuny Matthews. The real-life incident, spread over a few weeks, is believed to be the largest civilian evacuation in history.
Gold (2018)
The film opens in Berlin in 1936. The Indian hockey team romps home with the gold medal in hockey, and the British national anthem is played. Tapan Das (Akshay Kumar) is the team’s junior manager. What hurts the team and him is that they have won another gold that will be credited to the Englishmen, whose anthem is played after the victory.
During the second World War (1939 to 1945), two Olympic games are cancelled, and by 1947, it is also clear that India is going to be free, and Das’ dream of free India winning its first gold spikes when he reads that the 1948 Olympics will be held in London.
The real people: Tapan Das was a blend of Kishan Lal, the captain, and AC Chatterjee, the manager of the team.
Kesari (2019)
This is a film that blended the commercial with the factual and amalgamated both in a smooth blend. It remains one of the few war movies in Indian cinema that could be called a classic. The uniform of those times, including the Sikh turban and a beard, completed Akshay Kumar’s metamorphosis into Havaldar Ishar Singh, who led a contingent of 21 brave hearts who relentlessly decimated a substantial number of the 900 Afghan invaders before the last of the Sikhs laid down their lives.
Real person: The original name of Ishar Singh was maintained, but some dramatization, including a romantic track, was introduced.
Mission Mangal (2019)
Rakesh Dhawan, a scientist at ISRO, takes the blame when a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) launch goes wrong. As a result, he is relocated to work on Mangalyaan as ‘punishment’. The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) is thought of as an impossible mission by his coworkers due to its aim of reaching Mars with a tight budget. The scientist, as mission director, however, motivates and makes the team (basically of five women) reach their goal successfully, making India the 4th country to orbit the planet and the only one to do so at the first attempt.
The Real Person was Mylswamy Annadurai, a scientist working as vice-president for the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology and Chairman, Board of Governors, National Design and Research Forum. He is often termed the Moon Man of India.
Sky Force (2025)
The story revolves actually around T. Krishna Vijaya, played by newcomer Veer Pahariya, an Air-Force officer, who went missing after the Indian Air-Force attacked Pakistan’s Sargodha Airbase in the 1965 war. As the rest of the team is honoured, Vijaya is not—for a reason best watched on screen. His superior, Wing Commander Kumar Om Ahuja, who feels this injustice deeply and regards Vijaya as “better than the best” moves bureaucratic heaven and earth to unearth the truth, with a lucky break during the 1971 Indo-Pak war to help him along.
Real Persons: Akshay Kumar was the fictionalized Om Prakash Taneja, Vir Chakra winner, while Veer’s real character was the hitherto barely-known Mahavir Chakra winner, Squadron Leader Ajjamada Boppayya Devayya.
Also Read: BREAKING: Akshay Kumar-starrer Sky Force banned in several territories in the Middle East
More Pages: Sky Force Box Office Collection , Sky Force Movie Review
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