Veteran actor Ravi Kishan plays a pivotal role in Mission Raniganj: The Bharat Rescue, which spotlights the derring-do of real-life hero Jaswant Singh Gill (played by Akshay Kumar), who in the 1980s, carried out an audacious plan to rescue 65 miners trapped inside a mine. A chat with Ravi Kishan on the film and more. t2 is a media partner of Mission Raniganj, that releases in cinemas today.

What drew you to Mission Raniganj: The Bharat Rescue?

It has a very interesting story, it’s very well made. It’s well shot and acted well by all the actors led by Akshay Kumar. It has also been made on a big budget and is very huge in scale. Mission Raniganj is the story of real heroes. It will elicit the kind of emotions that one felt while watching a film like Lagaan.

I watched the film while dubbing for it and I got completely engrossed. I had never played a miner before this film and to think that I have done 700 films so far! Honestly, before doing this film, I wasn’t aware of the kind of risks that miners have to face on a daily basis. We all know that they go underground and mine minerals, coal, and diamonds, but how they survive at every step battling claustrophobia, the danger of a fire breaking out and other potentially fatal risks is not something many of us are aware of in detail.

I am claustrophobic myself and when I was shooting for the film, I could feel everything that a miner does. We were sent down into the capsule after being painted black and blue and had to spend hours at a time inside. Even as we speak, a few thousand miners must be working a few hundred feet below the ground, at tremendous risk to their lives.

The film deals with a human-interest story of about 65-odd miners stuck in a capsule below the ground and how a Sardarji (Jaswant Singh Gill, played by Akshay Kumar) came up with the idea in the 1980s to do jugaad and get them out. I will even stick my neck out to say it was probably one of the first rescue missions carried out in Bharat. Otherwise, hum miners jo dab jaate hain unko bhul ke aagey nikal jaate thhe. And here we have this man who is an engineer and his heart beats for every miner that works under him.

Mission Raniganj has a very important lesson for humanity. It tells us that when a tragedy takes place or when we see a person in trouble in a public place, we should extend a helping hand instead of standing there and making videos and milking the tragedy. It also urges the youth to come forward and raise their voice for the sake of humanity.

Were you aware of the heroics of Jaswant Singh Gill before doing this film?

No, I am very sad to say that I wasn’t. When I heard the story, I told myself: ‘Mujhe yeh film ka hissa ban na hain’. The story of such a hero should be made known to each and every countryman. We should all aspire to help others, in whatever small way we can. This is a very beautiful country and it’s up to each one of us to make it stronger. God willing, if this film works, I am sure a lot more stories about our unsung heroes will be made into films.

In Gorakhpur, we have Pandit (Ram Prasad) Bismil who raided a train which was loaded with weapons and he attacked the British with those weapons. Then there is the Chauri Chaura incident (of 1922). We have a huge hero in the form of Ashfaqulla Khan who also fought the British.

I want to make a film on Pandit Bismil. I have actually established Gorakhpur as a prime shooting location and have resurrected the Bhojpuri film industry, which had all but shut down. Gorakhpur is my constituency and I want to help make films there.

What changes are you seeing in the kind of roles that are being offered to you now as compared to what it was a decade ago?

After this film, I have Laapataa Ladies, which has been produced by Aamir Khan and has Kiran Rao directing after a long time. It’s a very beautiful film and has been to quite a few festivals.

Thanks to OTT, thanks to the film-makers of the young generation, for bringing all those actors back who didn’t get a lot of work earlier. This is a very good time for cinema. Almost all films are making money. All the planets are favouring Hindi cinema. I am a Member of Parliament today because I have been an actor. I am thankful and grateful to my industry for where I am today.