The movie “Mission Raniganj,” directed by Tinu Suresh Desai, stands out from Akshay Kumar’s previous films. This film is based on a real-life incident, with Akshay Kumar portraying the role of Jaswant Singh Gill. The film garnered significant attention on social media, and its performance at the box office was eagerly anticipated.
“Mission Raniganj” is based on a true story, revolving around a coal mine incident. The film got blended surveys from the two crowds and pundits. Although it faced stiff competition from other releases like Bhumi Pednekar’s “Thank You for Coming” and Rajvir Deol’s “Both,” the film managed to earn ₹2.8 crore on its opening day, falling short of initial expectations.
The Raniganj coal mine disaster, upon which the movie is based, took place in West Bengal. On November 13, 1989, a blast occurred during the breaking of coal mines in Mahabir Colliery, West Bengal, causing cracks in the wall of the water table. Water started rapidly flowing into these cracks, resulting in the tragic death of six out of the 220 workers present at the site. Those near the elevator shaft were quickly evacuated, but 65 workers remained trapped.
Jaswant Singh Gill, serving as the Additional Chief Mining Director at the time, played a crucial role in rescuing all 65 trapped laborers. Despite challenging circumstances, he dug several boreholes, providing food and water to the trapped miners until they were successfully brought to safety. For his bravery and dedication, Jaswant Singh Gill was honored with the Indian Government’s civilian gallantry award, the “Sarvottam Jeevan Rakshak Padak,” by President R. Venkataraman in 1991.