Review: Tragedy struck on November 13, 1989, in the Mahabir colliery in Raniganj. While triggering blasts to extract coal, the underground water table ruptured under pressure unleashing a torrent of water risking the lives of 65 miners trapped inside. In a race against time, when the usual methods failed, engineer Jaswant Singh Gill (played by Akshay Kumar) suggested to drill a well and deploy a specially crafted rescue capsule. In the absence of a crane and corruption within CIL (Coal India), the film shows how Gill, and his bunch of valiant experts rescued all 65 miners one by one through the innovative capsule.
Bringing true events to screen and honouring the valour of India’s unsung heroes is great provided the storytelling does justice to the brave hearts and perilous events that unfolded. Mission Raniganj with all its potential to tap into the human psyche and behaviour when put in a life-threatening situation, misses the goal by a mile.
Akshay Kumar movies in recent years have followed a pattern. They start with a Punjabi wedding song, two brief scenes with the heroine who vanishes otherwise, a slowmo entry scene and a heroic ending, where he is hailed as the ultimate saviour. The startling indifference and lack of effort in pushing boundaries or studying a character, bothers. There’s no attempt to know who Gill was as a person beyond the basic information available on the internet.
The first half is abrupt and unimaginative. There’s no character building for you to feel for them later. Shoddy production value and visual effects don’t help either. The ferocious water waiting to explode in the mine looks and sounds anything but real and the worst are the supporting performances. Actors cast as families of miners waiting for their return ham endlessly. Even someone as senior as Ravi Kishan, goes theatrical. No conversation brings out the gravity of the situation as it should. The film gains momentum in the second half when it finally gets a bit sincere. This is when the film gets watchable. However, it feels weighed down by childish bad dudes.
An evacuation thriller can be engaging, unnerving and an ultimate test of humanity. Netflix’s ‘Thai Cave Rescue’ for instance, made you invest in each character and their fate emotionally. With a poor attempt to scratch beneath the surface, director Tinu Suresh Desai’s film is loud, over the top melodramatic, largely evoking indifference over reverence. Portrayal of a brave attempt made to rescue the poor and not just billionaires in submersibles is great, but it needs more than intent to get the sentiment across.
