As Akshay Kumar starrer Raniganj runs successfully across the globe telling the heart-warming story of Mr Jaswant Singh Gill’s courageous act of saving 65 miners from the Raniganj coalmines in 1989, Asian Sunday caught up with the movie’s director Tinu Suresh Desai and producer Deepshikha Deshmukh to know all the efforts that was put in to deliver what’s entertaining everyone on screen, and why Akshay Kumar was chosen to play the lead hero.
Here’s what the duo had to say.
Question: Why the story of Raniganj minefields? Why did you choose to tell the story of Mr Gill?
Deepsiksha Deshmukh: You know I think, there are so many unsung heroes, they’re so inspiring. We haven’t heard much about them, when I heard his story, it was like watching a thriller movie, so for me it wasn’t just a hero who had done something good, it’s a hero who has lived an action thriller, in real life. For me, that was the point, I decided that this has to be made into a film. His story is so interesting, he is an engineer, the way he uses his mind to extract people out. Finding the miner and saving them is only one part of the mission, the story to tell is how he reaches there, the kind of nuances he faces while doing so and that for me was very exciting to jump on the project.
Tinu Suresh Desai: When I came across the subject, I had just come across a two-page story on how Mr Gill saved the miners. What was fascinating was that no one knew about the story, when I first read the story, I was surprised that this happened in 1989. When I started researching, we normally google stuff, there too, just one article was present. When I started real research, I realised that there were layers to the story, there’s drama, there’s thrill and there’s humour. Whatever ingredient a commercial film needed; it was there. Most importantly I wanted people to know about his story. I wanted them to know that how in 1989, there was something created in India for the very first time. I wanted to tell the story of how 65 miners were saved. I wanted to tell them how a job going common man risked his own life to save the life of the miners and unite them with their own family.
Question: We hear that there was a 48 feet hole was dug in an attempt to recreate a replica of the mine – so take us through the whole production part
Image: YouTube
Deepshikha Deshmukh: The real mines are around 300 to 350 feet deep, so when we went on ground, we just decided that we’ll just make a little hole, and let’s put a capsule in, so we went to the director, Tinuji, who insisted on the hole to be dug deeper than just 10 or 12 feet. He wanted the miners to actually feel what went on. He insisted the whole to be at least 30 to 40 feet to create that impact. He wanted the actors to feel something real so that the reactions that come in should be real enough. He wanted them to feel the pain people actually went through. So that’s how it was done. While they were digging, the water started filling up in the last 10 or 12 feet, so we had to put metal casements, as we were in the middle of the field, so that’s how were replicated ten percent of the real mine. I was blown away with this method of my director. He wants to get everything completely right. I think it was really important because the film required that. We wanted to keep the setting and the topography exactly how it was. I think that was a big thumbs up because globally films like that are hugely appreciated.
Question: Did you also visit the real mines?
Deepshikha: We did visit the real mines; the team actually stencilled the entire mine. We wanted everything to look exactly the same. As a producer I’m so proud of the work, you will feel the real emotions when you watch the movie.
Question: Mr Desai, we spoke about Mr Gill, you’ve had multiple meetings with him, can you tell us in detail what went on in those meets?
Mr Desai: When I decided to make the film, I decided that I need to meet Mr Gill, firstly we tried to find out Mr Gill, someone said that he has shifted to Vancouver, someone actually said that he is no more, finally we got in touch with the elder son of Mr Gill, I got his contact number , reached out to him and met him. I simply wanted to know his journey. It was for three days, in those three days, there was no time and a lot of work to do, people had to be saved.
They were attempting things that were never done before in India, they did not have an option to fail. So, all these things of went on, we sat with Mr Gill and researched, we came to know how the whole operation was planned and processed. Mr Gill had a footage for 150 hours. Along with him, we came to know what role his wife, Nirdosh Gill played in the operation. We went to the hospitals where the miners were admitted, we met that crane operator who played the role in the operation, we met three miners who were saved. After this research, we had ample of material, we had to make a choice of what is to be shown and what is not to be shown.
You spoke about the holes, basically there were three holes dug. The first hole was for the capsule, which was 50 feet deep, after 40 feet water started to enter, so we had to do a blast. One hole we had created like a well, that too was 50 feet deep, we had to do three blasts to create that. The third hole was inclined, wherein the bulldozers had to dig. We could do all this through VFX, but our attempt was to be as closer to reality as possible.
Before building the set, me along with the production unit, visited the real coal mine. Coal mines are spread over five to six kilometres. So, when you go 350 feet deep through the lift, you walk an hour to actually reach the mine. So, when I walked that hour, I felt a strange feeling, I felt that the audience should get the same feeling on entering the mine. We went in the real mine, the production designers collected the dye of the coal rocks inside and then we went on to create a set, so this was the detailing involved. We had created two sets, one coal mine which was to be without water another one with water.
Question: Was Akshay Kumar always on your mind when you thought about casting in the film?
Deepshikha: As a producer, I have worked with him for three years, so that was there. But as an audience I feel, that if there’s a story of an unsung hero of India, who can save multiple people, there’s one actor who fits the bill, and that’s Akshay Kumar. We have just worked him for three years, but even before that, be it Airlift, Kesari or Baby. When you think of a hero who can fight against all odds and save people, in my mind it’s Akshay Kumar. He’s my favourite actor, he’s also our lucky charm in the industry. So, for me, when the script came to me, it was a yes from the very beginning. There’s nobody else who fits the bill more than him.
Mr Desai: When I was told the story, it was sir’s (Akshay Kumar) birthday in a month. I remember that he gifts me a good subject. I told him about the story. He immediately was interested. When I started researching, that what I was thinking for Akshay sir, I am on the right track. Mr Gill’s sense of humour, his thinking and his style could be played by Akshay sir easily. So, when finally, I prepared the script and showed it to Akshay, he immediately agreed. He then wished to speak to Mr Gill. So, I organised a facetime of his with Mr Gill. They spoke for around 30 minutes. It felt like that they knew each other for the past six or seven years. Akshay had this child curiosity in him, while he spoke. He wished to know more and more.
Whoever we told the subject, everyone agreed in one go. When Parineeti Chopra heard about the subject, she insisted on being a part of the film and play the role of Nirdosh Gill. I wished to tell you this, when I was speaking to Nirdosh Gill, I could see a reflection of Parineeti.
Question: What do you wish to tell the audience?
Mr Desai: There’s a lot of expectations, it’s the result of six years of effort by me and my team. I wish to tell the audience that this is India’s biggest rescue mission, of which know one knows about. It’s a unique rescue mission that happened in India for the first time. 65 miners were saved in the nick of time, it’s a story of how all hurdles were passed. It’s a journey of a man which should be seen by everyone.
Deepshikha: It’s a story of how Indians make India proud throughout the world. Mr Gill holds the record most successful and large recue operation performed till date. His record still stands, it is a fact that makes me very proud, so it’s a humble request to everyone to watch the film. It’s all about bravery.
Watch the full interview here:
