Akshay Kumar to star in biopic of Jaswant Singh Gill

Akshay Kumar is all set to turn saviour again. The Airlift (2016) actor will play the lead in the biopic of Jaswant Singh Gill, a mining engineer who rescued 65 miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in West Bengal’s Raniganj in 1989.

The film will be directed by Tinu Suresh Desai, who has earlier helmed the Akshay-starrer National Award-winning film Rustom (2016).

Jaswant was born on November 22, 1939, in Amritsar. A Khalsa College alumnus, he was awarded Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak by President Ramaswamy Venkataraman in 1991 for his heroic deed.

India's first coal mine Raniganj was opened in 1774 after John Sumner and Suetonius Grant Heatly of the British East India Company acquired a licence for mining activities. The mine was nationalised in 1974 and was acquired by the Coal Mines Authority of India.

On Wednesday, the Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi commemorated Jaswant on Twitter: "Remembering Late Sardar Jaswant Singh Gill ji for his heroic role in rescuing 65 workers from a flooded coal mine, in 1989. We are proud of our Coal Warriors who battle everyday against the odds to assure India's energy security."

Replying to the Union Minister, Akshay tweeted: "Grateful to you Joshi Pralhad ji, for recalling India's first coal mine rescue mission - this day 33yrs ago. Sardar Jaswant Singh Gill (It's an honour for me to portray Jaswant Singh Gill in my upcoming film). It's a story like no other! eastern coal." (sic)

Produced by Pooja Entertainment, the untitled edge-of-the-seat rescue drama is scheduled to release in 2023.