Hero of Amritsar

Neha Saini

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Celebrating the real-life hero, Amritsar-based engineer late Jaswant Singh Gill’s story of courage and determination, several Amritsaris will be hosting special screening of the film Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue, which was released in theatres on Friday. Starring Akshay Kumar, the biopic is based on the true life events of Er Jaswant Singh Gill, who single-handedly saved the lives of 65 coal miners trapped in a mine in Raniganj, West Bengal, in 1989. While very few might know that he received the President’s Medal for his feat, the film turned his story into a cinematic experience.

Akshay Kumar held a special screening of the film a day before its release in Mumbai, which was attended by Er Jaswant Singh Gill’s family, including his son Dr SS Gill. “It was overwhelming to see the response, as we received a standing ovation by all present. There were members of the film fraternity, CBFC and others, who had never heard about him and were completely bowled over by his story,” shared Dr Gill.

The screening was also attended by Twinkle Khanna, Ritiesh and Genelia Deshmukh, among others. Dr SS Gill shared that among the attendees were some of the survivors of the Raniganj rescue mission and their families. Anand Paswan, one of the miners who was rescued in the operation, shared his emotional response after the screening of the film. “It was almost as if we were reliving the entire experience through the film. To watch what happened with us during those hours on screen was a very emotional experience and we are eternally grateful to Er saab (Jaswant Singh Gill), who made sure no one was left behind,” he said.