Akshay Kumar's 'Mission Raniganj' Misses the Mark of Kaala Patthar

Released with almost zilch promotion, Mission Raniganj appears to be a neglected project of Akshay Kumar, which the superstar hasn't pined much hopes on. If my guess is indeed true, that's quite sad as the film has an inspiring true story to tell!!

Narrating the 1989 Raniganj coal mine incident in which braveheart Jaswant Singh Gill, a dedicated mining engineer, saved sixty five miners of Coal India trapped after a flood wroke havoc in the colliery; the film was initially called Capsule Gill (which became Jaswant Singh's popular name after this heroic feat). Gill won the Bravery award from the President of India for his incredible act of valour. It is really thoughtful of Bollywood to make a full fledged movie on him. Kudos to that!!

Akshay Kumar as Jaswant Singh Gill, is earnest enough to make you root for him right till the end. The strong supporting cast comprising Kumud Mishra, Ravi Kishen, Pavan Malhotra, etc pitch in reliably assured performances. Dibyendu Bhattacharya is also memorable as the wicked Coal India senior officer with a sinister agenda. On the other hand, Parineeti Chopra playing Akshay's wife, is shortchanged with exactly four scenes. In fact, a street dog gets more prominence than her in the movie. Bow wow, dunno how!!

All seen and endured, Mission Raniganj reminded me of Yash Chopra’s infinitely superior Kaala Patthar (1979), which had a similar plot of near impossible rescue operation in a coal mine. That film was inspired by another such tragedy at Chasnala in the '70s.

Technically, Kaala Patthar, made forty years ago, is way ahead of Mission Raniganj. The flooding sequence in Raniganj looks ridiculously fake. The two songs are not worth a hum. And more importantly, the movie length appears tad stretched even at just about two hours fifteen minutes. Ho hum!!

To sum up short and quick, Mission Raniganj has its heart and intent in the right place but its tepid execution makes it look like a 'sasta' Kaala Patthar. Risk it if you wish!!

Ratings on some key aspects* :
1. Acting : 3.5/5
2. Direction : 3/5
3. Music : 2/5
4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 2.5/5
5. Cinematography : 3.5/5
6. Editing : 3/5
7. Costume Design : 3/5
8. Special Effects and VFX : 1.5/5
9. Action : 2/5
10. Production Quality : 3/5

#SNRating for #MissionRaniganj : 2 & 1/2 stars out of 5.

- Sumeet Nadkarni

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* - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. 

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#SNRatings barometer:

1 star = Poor

1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable

2 stars = Average

2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it

3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable

3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch

4 stars = Very good

5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 

2023 SNRatings. 

About Sumeet Nadkarni:

Sumeet Nadkarni is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a self-styled film critic by passion. He reviews Bollywood movies and OTT releases on his popular personal blog #SNRatings. His film-related articles have appeared in leading publications in India. With a keen eye for cinematic detail and a knack for insightful critiques, Sumeet brings a unique perspective to the world of Indian cinema. Follow him for the latest Bollywood insights and unbiased film reviews. #FilmCritique #BollywoodReviewer