Would like to make biopic on Hima Das: Akshay Kumar
Mumbai, July 28 : Actor-producer Akshay Kumar, who is busy promoting his forthcoming sports-drama film "Gold", says he would like to make biopic on life of Indian sprinter Hima Das who became the first Indian athlete to win a gold in a track event at just 18 year of age.
Interacting with media at an event organized by Edelweiss group here on Saturday to support & wish India contingent for Asian Games 2018, Akshay, asked on which Indian sports personality he would like to make a biopic as a producer, said: "I would like to make biopic on Hima Das because she is a track runner..
"...I think it was very rare feat to achieve because somebody who comes from interiors of India and wins gold medal in track (running) event was really incredible."
"India has been little bit weak when it comes to perform in track events and I feel we should encourage and support that form of sports to show the world that we have great talent when it comes to running as we daily run so fast to catch a bus or atrain... so, I would love to make biopic on her life," he added.
Akshay, to a query whether he feels that films can generate importance of sports in the minds of the audience and help India to become a better sports nation, said: "I really liked story of 'Gold' which is due for its release. I thought that this story needs to be told.
"It is very interesting and real story. There are some glorious achievement achieved by our people, by our country but it's not in public domain.
"Before doing this film, I didn't knew that we won our first Olympic gold medal in 1948. Most of us don't know when, how, where and in which circumstances we were able to win that gold medal by defeating, on their own turf, England who ruled us for 200 years... so, this kind of things cinema can represent all this in very nice way.
"If we make a documentary on this incident then one might watch it instead of that if we incorporate 4-5 songs, 1-2 fight sequence, hero and heroine in it then, it looks entertaining."
A historical sports drama inspired by India's first Olympic gold medal, "Gold" traces the "golden era" of Indian hockey through the journey of Tapan Das, a young assistant manager in 1936, who dreams of playing for an independent nation.
The film features Akshay Kumar, Amit Sadh, Kunal Kapoor, Sunny Kaushal, Vineet Kumar Singh and Mouni Roy in lead roles.
Directed by Reema Kagti and produced by Excel Entertainment, it releases on August 15.
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Assam polls: Cong announces first list of 42 candidates, Gaurav to contest from Jorhat
Guwahati (PTI): The opposition Congress on Tuesday took the lead in announcing its first list of 42 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, with it comprising both sitting MLAs and former ministers, and also new faces, including sons of three prominent politicians.
The party's chief ministerial candidate and state president Gaurav Gogoi will contest from the prestigious Jorhat assembly constituency, currently held by BJP's Hitendra Nath Goswami.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha will make his first electoral foray for the assembly.
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Gogoi is currently the party MP from the Jorhat parliamentary constituency and previously represented Kaliabor twice before it was reconstituted during the delimitation exercise in the state.
The leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Debabrata Saikia, will contest from the family stronghold of Nazira, which he has represented since 2016. His father, former chief minister Hiteswar Saikia, and his mother, Hemoprava Saikia, previously represented the constituency.
Three sitting MLAs -- Nandita Das from Hajo-Sualkuchi, Diganta Barman from Barkhetry and Nurul Huda from Rupohihat -- have also been included in the list.
Das, a two-time MLA, had earlier contested from Boko but following the delimitation exercise in the state, she has been shifted to Hajo-Sualkuchi while Barman and Huda will contest from the same seats they represented in the current assembly.
Former minister and state Congress president Ripun Bora will contest from Barchalla while another former minister, Ajit Singh, will contest from Udharbond constituency in Barak Valley.
Former minister and Deputy Speaker Pranati Phukan, a four-time MLA till 2016, will contest from Naharkatia in Upper Assam.
Tanzil Hussain, son of Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, will contest from Samaguri where he had lost to BJP's Diplu Ranjan Sarmah in the 2024 by-elections which was necessitated following the election of the senior Hussain to Lok Sabha.
Prateek Bordoloi, son of Nagaon MP Prodyut Bordoloi, will contest the Margherita seat which was represented by his father thrice since 2001.
Former five-time MP and prominent tea tribe leader Paban Singh Ghatowar's son Pranjal Ghatowar will contest from the Chabua-Lahowal seat.
Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress president Mira Borthakur, who had unsuccessfully contested the last parliamentary polls from Gauhati, has been given the ticket for the prestigious Dispur constituency.
Former BJP MLA Ashok Sarma, who was denied ticket by the ruling party in 2021 and went on to join the Congress in 2024, will contest from his previous Nalbari seat.
Another former BJP MLA and Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar, who joined the Congress in 2024, will contest from Sonai constituency in Barak Valley.
Former AGP MLA Satyabrat Kalita, who joined the Congress in September 2025, will contest from Kamalpur seat.
Other prominent faces in the list include former Congress MLAs Durga Bhumij from Doomdooma, Binanda Kumar Saikia from Sipahjhar and Bubul Das from Jagiroad (SC) constituency.
The Congress is a leading part of the unified opposition alliance, 'Asom Sonmilito Morcha', formed to challenge the ruling BJP, and has entered into seat-sharing arrangements with the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and the Left, but is yet to finalise it with Raijor Dal.
Presently, the ruling BJP's strength in the 126-member assembly is 64, while its allies AGP has nine MLAs, UPPL has seven and BPF has three members.
In the opposition camp, the Congress has 26 MLAs, AIUDF has 15 members and CPI(M) has one MLA. There is an Independent legislator as well.
