The stage is all set for the release of the much-awaited movie Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue in theaters. Starring Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Ravi Kishan, Kumud Mishra, Pavan Malhotra, Lankesh Bhardwaj, Varun Badola, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and more in the leading roles, Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue will be released in theaters on October 6, 2023. Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue is among the dream projects of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar after his movie OMG 2 made a stellar performance at the box office breaking his unwanted flop movies streak.
Mission Raniganj - The Great Bharat Rescue is produced by famous filmmakers y Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh, and Ajay Kapoor. Directed by Tinu Suresh Desai, Mission Raniganj - The Great Bharat Rescue is a true story based on a real-life mishap at Raniganj Coalfield and from the heroic act of Late Shri Jaswant Singh Gill who led Bharat’s coal mine rescue mission. Since you have landed on this page, True Scoop News assumes that you have already watched the movie in theaters or at least planning to watch and hence you have multiple questions related to Mission Raniganj True Story or Mission Ranigaj's real-life mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill. Below is everything you need to know about Mission Raniganj True Story-
Is Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue a true story?
The answer is yes. Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue is a true story based on the deadly mishap at Raniganj Coalfield of West Bengal in 1998 and how an Amritsar-based mining Engineer Jaswant Singh Gill rescued the lives of 65 miners stuck inside the mines. For those who are unaware, on November 13, 1989, a major tragedy struck the Mahabir Colliery in Raniganj, West Bengal. More than 200 miners who were working tirelessly triggering blasts to dig out coal from the mines invited a deadly calamity. The underground water table, which was dangerously close to their work area, broke due to massive pressure, unleashing water with strong currents. As a result, chaos gripped the cave, and the lives of 220 miners hung in the balance. Six miners succumbed as soon as the water broke out, while an agonizing wait began for the 65 still trapped, their fate uncertain.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is portraying the character of mining Engineer Jaswant Singh Gill and the movie is a tribute to the Amritsar-based late 'Sikh' Engineer who went on to become a National Hero.
Turning back the clock to the tragedy, reports suggest that while the 65 miners kept on screaming for help, the administration was puzzled about how to dig them out as rescuing them was tricky due to the presence of water with strong currents. Finally, a mining Engineer named Jaswant Singh Gill came to the rescue and suggested drilling a well and deploying a specially crafted steel rescue capsule on-site. With the aid of a crane, one by one, all 65 trapped miners were rescued, their lives given a second chance.
Now, the question arises who was Jaswant Singh Gill, the hero who saved 65 precious lives? Below is what you need to know-
Who was Jaswant Singh Gill?
Jaswant Singh Gill hailed from Amritsar, Punjab, and was born on November 22, 1937. The late National Hero was an alumnus of the Khalsa College. Gill completed his education and graduated in 1959. His remarkable act of bravery, saving the lives of 65 miners from the flooded coal mine, gave him the status of a national hero. Notably, Gill was honored in 1991 by the (then) President of India Ramaswamy Venkataraman. He was given 'Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak' by the President of India in 1991. Apart from this, to immortalize Gill's name in the history books, a chowk on Majitha Road was named after him.
In one of his old interviews, Jaswant Singh Gill narrated the experience of the Raniganj Coalmine mishap and the rescue operation he led. "Over 20,000 people had assembled to witness the tension-charged rescue operation. On the intervening night of November 15-16, 1989, I went inside the mine at around 2.30 a.m. and culminated the operation successfully by 8.30 a.m. To expedite the operation, a 12-tonne crane was put into service for lowering and raising the capsule. It took me six hours to bring up the 65 miners one by one and last of all, when I emerged from the capsule, people went mad with joy. They lifted me on their shoulders and honored me with garlands. The scene cannot be described in words. I am excited to see the imagination of the filmmakers to re-create this glorious chapter in the history of Indian mining."
Notably, Er. Jaswant Singh Gill passed away in 2019.