Akshay to play mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill in upcoming biopic

MUMBAI: Keeping up with his practice of shooting and announcing films one after the other, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who was most recently seen in 'Ram Setu', is set to headline yet another film, this time a biopic.

This biopic is of mining engineer Jaswant Singh Gill who, under very difficult circumstances, saved miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in Raniganj of West Bengal in 1989.

Born on November 22, 1939, in Amritsar, Gill was a Khalsa College alum, and was awarded Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak by President Ramaswamy Venkataraman in 1991.

Raniganj coal mine, India's first coal mine, 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.

The film, touted to be India's first coal mine rescue film, will see Akshay Kumar playing the lead role. The film will be directed by Tinu Suresh Desai who has earlier worked with Akshay Kumar on the National Award winning film 'Rustom'.

On Wednesday, the Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi commemorated Gill 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 #CoalWarriors who battle everyday against the odds to assure India's energy security."

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

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