Tinu Suresh Desai’s latest film sheds light on the real-life accidents that are prevalent in underground coal mines. Mission Raniganj chronicles the story of Jaswant Singh Gill (Akshay Kumar), who went out of his way to rescue 65 miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine. When everyone had abandoned hope, and the family members of the miners had accepted their tragic fate, Jaswant Singh Gill fought tooth and nail against the odds and pulled those miners from the jaws of death. Mission Raniganj is the story of the bravery, selflessness, and courage of those who never gave up and triumphed against impossible odds.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did The Miners Get Trapped Inside The Mine?
Tragic accidents at underground mines are nothing new. While some of them could not have been prevented, there were many that could have been avoided if there were accurate safety measures in place. For instance, the explosion that killed 268 miners in the Dhori coal mine could’ve been easily avoided if the management had adhered to the safety policies. Dhori wasn’t the only one; dozens of mines experienced such accidents that claimed the lives of many innocent workers. Mission Raniganj held a mirror to one particular accident that took place in the underground mines of Raniganj. The said mines were the first coalfields established in the country and offered employment to thousands of daily-wage laborers. As usual, workers descended to the mine to meet their daily targets, not knowing that they were heading straight into the jaws of death. One of the blasts punctured the walls connected to the Ningha Pit, resulting in severe flooding. In reality, to meet the production demands, the management detonated the walls beyond the danger strip, and since that wall was connected to Ningha Pit, trillions of gallons of water inside it seeped into the mines. Those who were lucky escaped with their lives, but many, like Bhola (Ravi Kishan) and others, were trapped inside. This left miners with no choice but to pray and wait for the rescue team to get them out.
How Is Jaswant Singh Gill Different From Other Officials?
As expected, rather than launching a rescue operation first, everyone started shifting blame. Many accused the management of ignoring safety measures, while others announced that there was no point in launching a rescue operation since everyone was already dead. Fortunately, Jaswant Singh Gill, GM of Sp Mines, arrived at the mine, seeking permission to launch a rescue operation despite the odds. Since Gill was a qualified rescue officer and Ujjwal’s (Kumud Mishra’s) old friend, he was given permission. Unlike many, Gill believed that even if there was only one miner alive, it was worth launching a full-fledged rescue mission.
Thanks to decades of experience, Gill knew he was on a tight deadline and, thus, needed someone who, like him, didn’t play by the book and thought outside the box. Thus, he joined forces with TP Bindal (Pawan Malhotra) and Tapan Ghosh (Veerendra Saxena) and started his own rescue plan. Bindal was a drilling engineer, while Tapan Ghosh used to be an ex-surveyor of the same mine. Ghosh was made a scapegoat for a different mining accident and was fired. Ever since then, he has been trying to get the salary and gratuity he was owed. Apart from them, there were many who, rather than offering a helping hand, chose to capitalize on the matter. D. Sen (Dibyendu Bhattacharya) was one such despicable soul who planned to leverage the tragedy to get a lengthy bill passed. Sen even turned the officials against Gill, claiming he wasn’t fit to lead the rescue team. Sen had no intention of rescuing the miners; he just wanted to get brownie points (in this context, money and praise) for showing up. Sen stated that since Gill wasn’t from the colliery, he was not fit to carry out a rescue operation. However, to his dismay, Gill was allowed when Ujjawal backed him. Sen was even willing to risk his own workers for the sake of showing off. In one instance, Sen intentionally sent two of his men down by the lift, knowing it could cost them their lives. For him, the most important thing was to meet his daily quota of rice and bread, not the worker’s lives.
How Did Gill Plan To Get Miners Out?
Gill knew that the miners who were trapped below were experienced, so he planned to dig a 29-inch borehole above the highest point of the mine. The reason was that, in cases of flooding, workers were told to reach the highest point to survive being drowned. Once Gill had confirmed their right location, he would send a capsule down to pull them up. Meanwhile, the workers trapped below were losing hope, wondering how much compensation their families would receive if they died. Many were even debating whether they should reach the highest point or stay and wait at one spot for help. While Banke and a couple of others were optimistic, many, like Bhola, had accepted their fate, knowing that the mine would surely become their grave. Fortunately, after a long struggle and conflict about digging another borehole, Gill found out that the miners were, in fact, beyond one of the stoppage walls. For the uninitiated, these walls were built to stop flooding and harmful gases that form inside the mine. Thus, Gill needed to get them out safe and sound before they died of asphyxiation.
Why Did D. Sen Want Gill’s Rescue Mission To Fail?
Gill and Bindal raced against the clock and created a drill bit to dig a 29-inch borehole with a depth of 150 meters. But to send a capsule down that length would require a Marshal crane. Sen owned such a crane, but he had no intention of supporting Gill. When Sen found out that Gill was in need of his Marshal crane, he willingly sabotaged it. This betrayal stemmed from Sen’s deep-seated hatred for Ujjwal, as because of him, he was overlooked for the position of CMD of Raniganj Colliery. Moreover, Ujjwal, a couple of years ago, had stopped Sen and his superior from scamming 28 crores, and now Sen was just returning the favor. He figured if the miners weren’t rescued in time, Ujjwal would lose his job, and he would succeed him as the next CMD. Sen was hell-bent on sabotaging Gill’s plan, and thus, he dismantled his entire crane to see it through. Gill and Bindal tried their best to arrange another crane, but it was ineffective. Thus, Gill had no choice but to send the capsule below, as the harmful gases and flood waters were just a couple of hours away from reaching the miners. Gill also volunteered to go down with the capsule to ensure the safe ascent of the trapped miners one by one. Sen once again tried to stop Gill from going down but failed.
How Did Jaswant Singh Gill Rescue The Trapped Miners?
In the absence of the Marshal crane, Gill and the miners were losing precious time, something they were already short on. Fortunately, towards the end of Mission Raniganj, Gobardhan Babu (Rajesh Sharma) was informed that, all this time, Sen had been conspiring against Gill and Ujjwal, who were genuinely risking their careers to save the miners. Gobardhan Babu was an influential politician and the leader of the labor union. He also used to be a miner, and he was no stranger to the risk of losing precious time. Gobardhan Babu threatened to skin Sen alive if the Marshal crane didn’t reach the rescue location in the next hour. Thankfully, the crane arrived, and all the miners were successfully rescued. Gill selflessly chose to ascend after all the miners reached the surface. Even though the darkness inside the mine was causing irreparable damage to the eyes, Gill stayed behind until everyone was successfully rescued. It may sound like an exaggeration, but on that day, the entire sky seemed to echo with cheers for Jaswant Singh Gill. In addition, Gill also delivered on the promise he made to Tapan Ghosh and helped him get his dues and gratuity amount.
Just imagine what would’ve happened if Jaswant Gill had surrendered against the odds. While Gill was risking his life, Sen and his boss were looking for ways to sabotage his plan and pilfer his credit. However, unlike them, Gill wasn’t looking for praise or promotion. Gill had just one mission: to save the innocent miners trapped below. None of the workers would’ve been rescued if it weren’t for Gill and the joint effort of his team. Even though the characters’ names were changed, this true story still inspires many. As a token of goodwill and gratitude, Gill received a sum of Rs. 1 lakh and an immediate promotion. Gill’s rescue story made headlines both internationally and nationally, and he was given the moniker “Capsule Gill.” In the eyes of the families of the rescued miners, Gill became a god who stepped in to save their family when everyone had lost hope. Gill even received the Best Life Saver medal from the President of India for his bravery and selfless acts.
