The Railway Men director Shiv Rawail and actor Kay Kay Menon spoke about what went on behind the making of the four-part thriller series, produced by Yash Raj FIlms and Netflix, at the 54th International Film festival of India in Goa on Wednesday.

Talking about his first directorial venture based on the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, Shiv said the cast and crew had worked really hard keeping in mind the sensitivity of the real-life characters. “As producers, directors, writers and actors, it is our responsibility to be sensitive towards the pain because of the emotional attachment a lot of families have with the tragedy.”

The cast and crew of The Railway Men at a press conference at the 54th IFFI in Goa. PIB

The filmmaker also said they left no stone unturned to depict the real-life tragedy that had unfolded over at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal over December 2 to 3 in 1984.

“The series is a homage to the valour of Railway Men that we all take for granted; it gives space to the unsung heroes, especially those who sacrifice themselves to save people on that fateful night of Bhopal Gas Tragedy,” said Kay Kay Menon, one of the lead actors of the recently released four-episode web series.

Kay Kay, who plays the station master at Bhopal’s railway station in the series, said he became interested in the honesty of the character and went on to explore the depth and the height of the role within a particular space.

Kay Kay Menon, Babil Khan, Shiv Rawail, Divyenndu and Aayush Gupta at a Masterclass session at IFFI 2023. PIB

Speaking about the idea behind The Railway Men, screenwriter Aayush Gupta said the show was aimed to show the bravery of the railway workers who had mounted rescue efforts, which, in turn, mobilised the entire national network to rescue people.

Also starring R Madhavan, Babil Khan and Divyenndu, the drama series was released on Netflix on November 18.