The Railway Men: A soul-piercing recreation of a tragedy

Over the years, ‘Based on true events’ has become a trope in the world of filmmaking, and very rarely, as an audience, you’re compelled to question and start a conversation around the subject a series or a film is based on. Not all the time you feel moved by such series/films or feel that it is probably one of the best things you’ve watched in a very long time. 


But ‘The Railway Men’ justifies to the T when it calls itself a series inspired by true events. Makers also mention how some of the sequences are a work of fiction. But it is such a well-made series that even the fictional parts of it feel like they must’ve happened but may not have been recorded/mentioned. 


Based on Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the infamous incident that not only killed several residents of the city but also affected the future generations, ‘The Railway Men’ showed the valour of the railway staff, the unsung heroes, who saved thousands of lives with their instinctive thinking and understanding that insaan hi insaan ke kaam aata hai. 


You also feel angry when the government isn’t willing to send relief to Bhopal junction but when some government members turn their back on the decision, you think to yourself - ‘insaaniyat abhi baaki hai’. (A lot of what I saw reminded me of a lot of what our country experienced during Covid-19 pandemic.)


                    (Picture credit: IMDB)



There are some terrific moments in the series, and some breathtaking and painful shots that pierce your heart. One of the beautiful shot has to be the one where a dead mother is feeding a baby, who is also turning blue because of the toxic gas inhaled by the mother. You’re, very smartly, shown how the toxic gas has affected even the baby in the womb as you meet a crippled, specially abled child during one of the episodes.

 

Some outstanding picture-to-picture recreations of the real moments during and after the incident come right at the end of the series that leaves you marvelling at the in-depth research and great work by the cinematographer. ‘The Railway Men’ is as much a series of its cast and director as much it is of the people behind-the-camera as without them, this wouldn’t have become what it is. 


Kay Kay Menon and Babil Khan are such a joy to watch. Babil proves he’s got some acting chops in whatever time he gets seen on screen. You also root for Sunny Hinduja, plays journalist Jagmohan Kumawat, who passed away during Covid. Juhi Chawla and R Madhavan, who sure are fan favourites, were really good in their parts. 


As a conclusion, I’d say, ‘The Railway Men’ is a winner in all aspects. It is cinema in its finest form. It makes us revisit a part of India’s dark history that needs to be remembered mostly for people’s courage and how humanity is the greatest service of all.

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