‘Mission Raniganj’: A tale of heroic determination

7 years since Rustom, actor Akshay Kumar and filmmaker Tinu Suresh Desai have teamed up again for Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue. A story that goes beyond what anyone can imagine and is a story of a unsung hero that deserves to get his story told.

This survival-thriller is the true (unknown) story of Sardar Jaswant Singh Gill (played by Akshay Kumar). Set in 1989 when a blast in the wrong place of an underground coal mine results in a flood. The British Engineers and Senior officers of Coal India believe the coalminers have perished, however Jaswant Gill believes they aren’t and starts a rescue mission. With only 48 hours to save the miners, Jaswant puts everything on the line. Does he succeed?

The story is steady-paced and shows us the relationship of Jaswant and Nirdosh Kaur Gill (played by Parineeti Chopra) before focussing on the Raniganj incident. The build up to this moment is nail-biting and tension-filled which keeps you engaged and makes you want to see whether Jaswant saves the miners.

Director Tinu Suresh Desai does a good job too, ensuring the incident is as authentic as possible. Fun fact that the film team built a 40-foot-deep hole and seeing this on screen feels like the actors weren’t acting at all; you can feel the fear and anxiety of being trapped.

Overall, Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue is a survival thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seats and is a powerful tribute to one of India’s unsung hero.