New Hindi Movies : Mission Raniganj (2023)

Inspired by an actual rescue mission from 1989, the movie serves as a tribute to the late Jaswant Singh Gill. Gill, a hero in his own right, valiantly saved the lives of 65 miners who were trapped in a flooded coal mine in Raniganj, West Bengal.

November 13, 1989, marked a tragic incident at the Mahabir colliery in Raniganj. During the coal extraction process involving detonations, the underground water table ruptured under immense pressure, flooding the mine and endangering the lives of 65 trapped miners. In a race against time, and with conventional methods proving futile, engineer Jaswant Singh Gill (portrayed by Akshay Kumar) proposed a groundbreaking solution: drilling a well and utilizing a specially crafted rescue capsule. The film unfolds the challenges Gill and his team faced, including the absence of a crane and corruption within CIL (Coal India), showcasing how they ingeniously rescued all 65 miners one by one through the innovative capsule.

While bringing true events to the screen and honoring the courage of India's unsung heroes is commendable, the storytelling in Mission Raniganj falls short of doing justice to the brave hearts and the perilous events that transpired. Despite the potential to delve into the human psyche and behavior under life-threatening circumstances, the film misses its mark.

Films featuring Akshay Kumar that make a social statement or derive from India's narrative tend to follow a familiar pattern. They commence with a Punjabi wedding song, feature two brief scenes with the heroine who then fades into the background, showcase the hero's slow-motion entry, and culminate in a heroic ending where he is celebrated as the ultimate savior. While these films may not lack intent, what they miss is a concerted effort to push boundaries or explore the depths of the characters. There is a notable absence of an attempt to delve into who Gill was as a person beyond the basic information available on the internet.