Akshay Kumar's 'Mission Raniganj' heads to OTT—when, where to watch
Akshay Kumar's recent release, Mission Raniganj, is finally making its way to the OTT space. Set to arrive on Netflix on Friday (December 1), the disaster thriller film directed by Tinu Suresh Desai was released in theaters on October 6. It narrates the true story of Jaswant Singh Gill, an IIT Dhanbad mining engineer who valiantly saved 65 coal miners stranded in the Raniganj Coalfields, West Bengal, in 1989.
Why does this story matter?
Mission Raniganj marked the second collaboration of Desai and Kumar who have previously worked on the 2016 crime thriller Rustom. The latter was also based on a true story, following Indian Naval Commander KM Nanavati, who was tried for the murder of his wife's lover. With Mission Raniganj, Desai continued to delve into real-life stories, bringing another captivating tale to the screen, this time centered on a daring rescue mission. However, it was a box office disappointment.
This incident inspired 'Mission Raniganj'
Mission Raniganj is based on a real-life disaster in Raniganj, West Bengal, in 1989. Six miners tragically lost their lives, while 65 others were trapped in a flooded coal mine. Gill was a mining engineer and trained rescue official who saved the trapped miners, emerging as a national hero. His remarkable act of bravery is commemorated as Rescue Day by Coal India every year on November 16. Notably, the film was previously titled Capsule Gill and The Great Indian Rescue.
Box-office failure and limited promotions
Despite its thrilling real-life inspiration, Mission Raniganj didn't quite hit the mark at the box office, earning only around Rs. 46cr globally compared to its Rs. 55cr budget. Interestingly, Kumar previously revealed that he chose to keep promotions for the film minimal. In an interview, he explained that too much promotion can lead to people taking a film for granted, adding that word-of-mouth works better for content-driven movies.
How film's team tried recreating 1989 incident
It starred Kumar and Parineeti Chopra in lead roles, marking their second collaboration after Kesari (2019). Separately, in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, director Desai discussed the team's efforts to recreate the 1989 incident authentically. They reportedly excavated an underground hole, reaching depths of around 30-40 feet, resembling a fractional portion of an actual coal mine. The film was produced by Vashu Bhagnani, Jackky Bhagnani, and Deepshikha Deshmukh under their banner Pooja Entertainment.
