The Railway Men Review: Save our city, sir! Bhopal finds itself on the edge, much like a dormant volcano. Imagine being told, ‘If you don’t get it, you might disappear.’ These gripping headlines were foretold by journalist Rajkumar Keswani in the ‘Rapat’ newspaper, two years before the tragic gas accident in the city. Unfortunately, Keswani, who bravely faced the chaos of Corona just two years earlier, is no longer with us.
| Movie Review: | The Railway Men |
|---|---|
| Artist | KK Menon, Babil Khan, Divyendu Sharma, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sunita Rajwar, Raghuveer Yadav, Mona Singh, Juhi Chawla, R Madhavan |
| Author | Ayush Gupta and Shiv Rawail |
| Director | Shiv Rawail |
| Creator | Aditya Chopra, Uday Chopra |
| OTT | Netflix |
| Release Date | 18 November 2023 |
| Rating | 4/5 |
The Railway Men Review:
About nine years ago, a film called ‘Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain’ was made, depicting his relentless efforts. Fast forward to today, just after the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Netflix has released a web series called ‘The Railway Men.’ And trust me, it’s got all the elements to stir up the political scene in Madhya Pradesh.
What to live if you live for yourself…
Ever wondered, what’s the point of living if it’s only for yourself? Why on earth did they let Union Carbide build a factory right on the outskirts of Bhopal? These questions have been debated for a long time. The series kicks off from these points. We follow Sunny Hinduja, playing a character inspired by journalist Keswani. His friend was a victim of the gas leak in the factory.
As he investigates, he becomes the target of both the police and the administration. On the other side, we have a station master motivating his son to go for a government job, but the son is drawn to Union Carbide. Throw in a mysterious robber eyeing a safe with a million rupees at Bhopal station on the night of the gas leak, and you’ve got the setting for YRF Entertainment’s The Railway Men.
Highlighting KK Menon’s acting
This web series, based on Shiv Rawail’s vision, has a solid four-episode storyline. No sequels here; it’s a perfect binge-watch, like a movie split into episodes. The credit for this excellent series goes to director Shiv Rawail, who spent two years developing the story, screenplay, dialogues, and the history and geography behind it. The effort shows, especially in the series’ smooth transition from real to filmed footage. Once it gets going, there’s no stopping it. And it’s quite an impressive debut for Rawail as a director.
Bam Bam Babil and Damdaar Divyendu,
Let’s talk about the cast. KK Menon steals the show, portraying the station master with unwavering dedication. His character mirrors the real-life heroics of the Assistant Railway Master during the actual gas tragedy. ‘The Railway Men’ sheds light on Menon’s prowess in the OTT world, building on his impressive roles in ‘Special Ops,’ ‘Ray,’ ‘Farzi,’ and ‘Bombay Meri Jaan.’ The series vividly captures Menon’s character’s struggle to save both the station’s present and a train full of passengers heading its way.
Madhavan became the strong pillar of the series.
Now, the supporting cast—Babil Khan, Divyendu Sharma, and Ranganathan Madhavan—all play essential roles. Babil impressively steps out of his father’s shadow, Irrfan, capturing the essence of the Bhopal dialect. Divyendu adds humor to the serious plot, showing the strength of Rawail’s writing. And Madhavan, as the General Manager of Central Railway, brings his brilliance to the series. The supporting characters, played by Sunita Rajwar, Mona Singh, and Raghuveer Yadav, add depth and make you want to keep watching.
Kamal Sunny, Sunita, Mona and Rajpal’s
‘The Railway Men,’ you can sense some political drama. But, it also has its own unique twists. Remember when Rajiv Gandhi said on TV, ‘When a big tree falls, the earth shakes’? That’s a big clue in the series. There’s also a part about a train being attacked by rioters looking for Sikhs. It hints that something strange happened in the office of the Railway Minister back then. And get this—there’s a German scientist in India who tried to send medicine to Bhopal to help with the gas leak, but it got stopped.
This is what the political undercurrent of The Railway Men
All these things actually happened. Even though the government changed the Railway Minister quickly, holding those responsible for the company’s actions accountable is still up in the air. The series has a political side, and Netflix releasing it after the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections is a smart move, earning them praise for timing it right after the voting.
