The real life Amritsar born Jaswant Singh Gill advanced through the ranks during his employment with Coal India Limited before retiring in 1998 as Engineer-in-Chief. The rescue mission at the Mahabir Colliery in Raniganj, West Bengal, was the most important event of his more than two-decade career. Reportedly he saved lives of 65 trapped miners from a flooded coal mine earning him the moniker of Capsule Gill.
Jaswant Singh Gill, a brave and courageous mining engineer from IIT Dhanbad, takes it upon himself to rescue miners trapped in Raniganj coalfields so that they can be reunited with their families. A real-life hero, Jaswant Singh Gill led a solo and brave mission saving the lives of ordinary people. The canvas of the film is huge, allowing users to actually experience a coal mine rescue, which can only best be enjoyed on the big screen.
Set in 1989, ‘Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue’ captures your attention and imagination from the very first scene. Helmed by Tinu Suresh Desai, the movie sets its tone within the first few minutes and stays its course. Jaswant Singh Gill, played aptly by Akshay Kumar, and his ingenious and brave rescue mission, is documented to be the world’s greatest rescue operation.
This is a compelling story of hope, resilience and teamwork, which is the soul of the film. The movie opens with quick introductions to the principal characters and eases right into an edge-of-the-seat thriller, which keeps up its tempo till the end.
This is as much a story about survival and hanging on to a fine thread of hope as it is about a man, Jaswant Singh Gill, who is driven, dedicated, and relentless in his pursuit to save lives.
Parineeti Chopra as Nirdosh Kaur Gill, Jaswant Singh’s wife, does her best within the framework of her role. But the film is all about Gill, and Akshay Kumar delivers a decent performance. The director-actor duo has already delivered one National Award for ‘Rustom’ and we won’t be surprised if ‘Mission Raniganj’ gets them a second one.
The lighting, camerawork and special effects, and underground water scenes are noteworthy. A neatly made film with a coal mine rescue at the centre is an absolute treat to watch on the big screen. This one will make every Indian proud.
There is drama aplenty and suspense in this true-life story, added with stellar performances from the entire ensemble, and a great background score, which creates an immersive and engaging experience.
Movie: Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue
Director: Tinu Suresh Desai
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Rajesh Sharma, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, Ravi Kishan, Pawan Malhotra, Kumud Mishra, Virendra Saxena, Saanand Verma, Jameel Khan, Varun Badola, Sudhir Pandey and Omkar Das Manikpuri
