Akshay Kumar's Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue hit the big screens on Friday, 6 October. Directed by Tinu Suresh Desai and written by Vipul K Rawal, the film is based on the real-life incident of the Mahabir Colliery in Raniganj, where 65 miners were saved from a flooded coal mine in November 1989.
Akshay's character in the biographical drama draws inspiration from mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill, who carried out the rescue operation.
Here's the real story behind the film:
Real Story of Jaswant Singh Gill, Who Inspired Akshay Kumar's 'Mission Raniganj'
1. Who Was Jaswant Singh Gill aka Capsule Gill?
Real photographs of Jaswant Singh Gill.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/X)
Jaswant Singh Gill was a mining engineer who is famously known for his rescue mission, which saved 65 miners during the 1989 coal mine collapse in Raniganj, West Bengal.
Born in Sathiala, Amritsar in November 1939, Gill completed his education at the Khalsa School.
He went on to pursue his higher education in BSc (Honours) from the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
Gill joined Coal India Limited in 1973 and retired as an engineer-in-chief in 1998.
Following the success of the rescue operation, Gill received the monicker 'Capsule Gill'.
Gill was honoured with several awards for his brave feat, including the 'Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak' by President Ramaswamy Venkataraman in 1991.
Until his death, Gill remained active in his social welfare work.
He passed away in his 80s in Amritsar in November 2019.
He was survived by his wife, two sons, and two daughters.
Expand2. What Happened in Raniganj's Mahabir Colliery in 1989?
On 13 November 1989, a series of blasts broke the Mahabir Colliery in Raniganj, West Bengal, when someone accidentally touched the upper seam of the mine, which led to heavy flooding, according to reports.
During the night, around 232 miners were working at the rise-most area of the 320-foot-deep coal mine to excavate coal through explosions.
While 161 miners who were near the lifts in the pit were immediately evacuated, the remaining 71 were left trapped in the borewell.
When the shafts started flooding with water, 6 coal miners drowned, leaving the rest 65 trapped in the mine.
The capsule was being sent for the rescue of the coal miners at Raniganj in 1989.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/X)
Due to a telephone connection from the borewell to the surface, the authorities learnt about the 71 trapped miners and formed a team to rescue them.
While several submersible pumps were installed in the mine to reduce the water level, the water continued to recirculate inside the mine, leaving the pumped-out water back to the surface through cracks.
Meanwhile, the mine's oxygen level was also reportedly depleting.
Jaswant Singh Gill, who was part of the fourth rescue team, was appointed as the Chief General Manager ED (Safety and Rescue) at Coal India Limited in Raniganj at the time.
Expand3. How Did Gill Come Up With the Idea of a Capsule?
To rescue the 61 trapped miners at the Mahabir Colliery, Jaswant Singh Gill came up with the idea of reportedly a 7-feet-high and 22-inch-tall steel capsule that would rescue the miners, one by one, through its insertion into a new borehole that led to the mine.
Speaking about the rescue mission Gill's son once shared with The Tribune, "My father started to innovate on a theoretical idea that had never been put to practical use. It involved fabricating a steel capsule about 7 feet high and 22 inches in diameter, creating a new borehole to lower the capsule into the mine, and taking out the miners one by one."
(L) Jaswant Singh Gill with a replica of the capsule he built during the 1989 rescue mission. (R) Gill with the awards he has received.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/X)
The capsule was reportedly constructed within 72 hours and sent down the borehole after a few trial runs.
Initially, the capsule was sent down manually, and it took 15 minutes for its one-round trip.
Soon, a 12-tonne crane was put into the operation for lowering and raising the capsule, which took 3 minutes.
Gill also went into the capsule to rescue the miners, despite reported opposition from the top officials of Coal India Limited.
As per reports, around 20,000 people witnessed the rescue operation. Speaking about the same, Gill had shared with The Tribune, "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."
(With inputs from The Tribune and Pritpal Singh Tuli's book 'Sikhs the Supreme')
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)
Expand
Who Was Jaswant Singh Gill aka Capsule Gill?
Real photographs of Jaswant Singh Gill.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/X)
Jaswant Singh Gill was a mining engineer who is famously known for his rescue mission, which saved 65 miners during the 1989 coal mine collapse in Raniganj, West Bengal.
Born in Sathiala, Amritsar in November 1939, Gill completed his education at the Khalsa School.
He went on to pursue his higher education in BSc (Honours) from the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
Gill joined Coal India Limited in 1973 and retired as an engineer-in-chief in 1998.
Following the success of the rescue operation, Gill received the monicker 'Capsule Gill'.
Gill was honoured with several awards for his brave feat, including the 'Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak' by President Ramaswamy Venkataraman in 1991.
Until his death, Gill remained active in his social welfare work.
He passed away in his 80s in Amritsar in November 2019.
He was survived by his wife, two sons, and two daughters.
What Happened in Raniganj's Mahabir Colliery in 1989?
On 13 November 1989, a series of blasts broke the Mahabir Colliery in Raniganj, West Bengal, when someone accidentally touched the upper seam of the mine, which led to heavy flooding, according to reports.
During the night, around 232 miners were working at the rise-most area of the 320-foot-deep coal mine to excavate coal through explosions.
While 161 miners who were near the lifts in the pit were immediately evacuated, the remaining 71 were left trapped in the borewell.
When the shafts started flooding with water, 6 coal miners drowned, leaving the rest 65 trapped in the mine.
The capsule was being sent for the rescue of the coal miners at Raniganj in 1989.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/X)
Due to a telephone connection from the borewell to the surface, the authorities learnt about the 71 trapped miners and formed a team to rescue them.
While several submersible pumps were installed in the mine to reduce the water level, the water continued to recirculate inside the mine, leaving the pumped-out water back to the surface through cracks.
Meanwhile, the mine's oxygen level was also reportedly depleting.
Jaswant Singh Gill, who was part of the fourth rescue team, was appointed as the Chief General Manager ED (Safety and Rescue) at Coal India Limited in Raniganj at the time.
How Did Gill Come Up With the Idea of a Capsule?
To rescue the 61 trapped miners at the Mahabir Colliery, Jaswant Singh Gill came up with the idea of reportedly a 7-feet-high and 22-inch-tall steel capsule that would rescue the miners, one by one, through its insertion into a new borehole that led to the mine.
Speaking about the rescue mission Gill's son once shared with The Tribune, "My father started to innovate on a theoretical idea that had never been put to practical use. It involved fabricating a steel capsule about 7 feet high and 22 inches in diameter, creating a new borehole to lower the capsule into the mine, and taking out the miners one by one."
(L) Jaswant Singh Gill with a replica of the capsule he built during the 1989 rescue mission. (R) Gill with the awards he has received.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/X)
The capsule was reportedly constructed within 72 hours and sent down the borehole after a few trial runs.
Initially, the capsule was sent down manually, and it took 15 minutes for its one-round trip.
Soon, a 12-tonne crane was put into the operation for lowering and raising the capsule, which took 3 minutes.
Gill also went into the capsule to rescue the miners, despite reported opposition from the top officials of Coal India Limited.
As per reports, around 20,000 people witnessed the rescue operation. Speaking about the same, Gill had shared with The Tribune, "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."
(With inputs from The Tribune and Pritpal Singh Tuli's book 'Sikhs the Supreme')
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)