After playing a real-life hero in films like ‘Airlift’ and ‘PadMan’, actor Akshay Kumar is now slated to play Sardar Jaswant Singh Gill, who rescued miners in an operation in 1989, in a biopic which will be backed by Pooja Entertainment.

The film is expected to tell the heroic story of Jaswant Singh Gill, a mining engineer, who saved 65 miners in what was India’s first coal mine rescue. To commemorate the day, November 16 is also marked as ‘Rescue Day’

On the occasion, Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi, remembered Late Sardar Jaswant Singh Gill for rescuing 65 workers from a flooded coal mine, in 1989 by tweeting his photo. Akshay replied on the same and shared his excitement about playing the real hero.

Akshay tweeted, “Grateful to you @JoshiPralhad ji, for recalling India’s first coal mine rescue mission – this day 33yrs ago. ???? ??????? ?? ?? ??? #SardarJaswantSinghGill ?? ?? ?????? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ???. It’s a story like no other!”

Vashu Bhagnani of Pooja Entertainment also shared that it is a privilege to be able to showcase this story through his film. “Remembering Late #SardarJaswantSinghGill on this day, who rescued the lives of miners who were stuck in the coal mines of Raniganj under very difficult circumstances. It is indeed an honour and privilege to showcase his heroic act in our next film,” he tweeted.

The film will also be a reunion for Akshay with his ‘Rustom’ director Tinu Suresh Desai. The edge-of-the-seat drama is set for a release in 2023. It was in July this year that Akshay’s first look as a turban-clad sardar was unveiled while the team was filming in London.

Born on November 22, 1939, at Sathiala in Amritsar, Jaswant Singh Gill graduated from Khalsa College in 1959. He was behind the rescuing miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine in Raniganj, West Bengal, in a six-hour-long long dangerous ordeal. He passed away on November 26, 2019.