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The Railway Men premiered on Netflix on Saturday, November 18, and it is the first web miniseries to be produced by YRF Entertainment, the digital wing of Yash Raj Films. The historical drama is based on the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy and highlights the bravery of ordinary railway workers who saved many lives following the disaster.
The series is directed by Shiv Rawail, who previously worked as an Assistant Director on Hindi films such as Fan and Befikre and scripted by Aayush Gupta. The series went on the floors on December 1, 2021, and its shoot was wrapped up on May 11, 2022. The series’ official teaser was released on October 28, and it received rave reviews from fans.
This was followed by an equally well-received trailer on November 6.
Is The Railway Men based on the Bhopal gas tragedy?
The Railway Men is set against the backdrop of the Bhopal gas tragedy, one of the world’s worst industrial disasters.
The chemical accident occurred between December 2 and December 3, 1984, at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) when water entered a methyl isocyanate (MIC) storage tank, resulting in the toxic gas being leaked into areas surrounding the plant.
The incident had devastating consequences as thousands died in the first few days, and the survivors developed chronic health problems.
The Bhopal gas tragedy led to widespread protests and legal action against UCIL. Union Carbide Corporation, the plant's parent company, and the Indian government reached an out-of-court settlement when the former agreed to pay USD 470 for the damages caused by the accident.
Interestingly, the 2014 film Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain was based on the same incident and featured Martin Sheen as Warren Anderson, the then-CEO of Union Carbide.
Who leads the cast of The Railway Men?
The Railway Men is headlined by R Madhavan, who plays Rati Pandey, the fearless General Manager of the Central Zone of the Indian Railways. He has tremendous leadership skills and goes out of his way to ensure that his colleagues receive help promptly following the Bhopal gas tragedy.
Kay Kay Menon, meanwhile, plays Iftekaar Siddiqui, an ordinary stationmaster who becomes a real-life hero under extraordinary circumstances.
They are joined by Babil Khan, who plays the rookie locomotive engineer Imad Riaz, and Divyendu as the dacoit Balwant Yadav. The recurring cast includes Sunny Hinduja, Juhi Chawla, Mandira Bedi, Raghubir Yadav, Manish Wadhwa, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya.
How many episodes are there in The Railway Men?
The Railway Men has four episodes, each highlighting different aspects of the Bhopal gas tragedy. The first and last episodes are over an hour long. The remaining ones, meanwhile, have a duration of nearly 50 minutes each.
Talking about directing these episodes, Shiv Rawail said in a recent statement that each aspect has been handled with utmost care given the sensitive subject.
He said,
“The series brings to life one of the most important subjects that every Indian is aware of. So, we had to be sensitive. Our series had to showcase how humanity exists within us, even when we are individually at risk.”
All four episodes of The Railway Men premiered on Netflix on November 18.
