On the nights of December 2 and 3, 1984, a tragic event unfolded—the Bhopal Gas leak, the largest industrial disaster in history. Immediate casualties numbered at least 3,800, with over 15,000 deaths in the following years. The aftermath left 558,125 people with permanent injuries and disabilities, as stated in the official government affidavit.

The Bhopal Gas Leak stands as a stark example of tragedy and injustice driven by corporate greed and governmental instability. In one night, thousands lost their lives, and the repercussions persist for thousands more. The compensation paid by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), the responsible company, was $470 million—a meagre amount considering the severe consequences suffered by victims. Thirty-nine years on, the horrors endure.

This reality, albeit dramatised, is conveyed by ‘The Railway Men’, directed by Shiv Rawail in its four-episode miniseries. It depicts the heroic efforts of railway staff, corporate irresponsibility and governmental inaction. The narrative unfolds like a dystopian drama, akin to the Korean film ‘Train to Busan’ or the historical drama ‘Chernobyl’. Ghulam Dastagir, deputy station master of Bhopal Railway Station, is fictionalised as Iftekar Siddiqui (Kay Kay Menon). The story also revolves around Imad Riaz (Babil Khan), a newly hired loco-pilot and former truck driver for Union Carbide, fired for protesting its hazardous working conditions after his friend’s death.

Negligence is a key factor in the gas leak, and from the outset, ‘The Railway Men’ highlights Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL)’s disregard for maintaining a safe system in its factories and training workers to handle potent chemicals like methyl isocyanate (MIC). As Imad describes MIC as a liquid dynamite, it becomes evident that factory workers lack knowledge of handling the systems and chemicals, and safety is compromised with the non-functioning flare tower. The series introduces Jagmohan Kumawat (Sunny Hinduja), a committed reporter with a ‘nothing-to-lose’ mindset, aiming to expose the Union Carbide factory. Balwant Yadav (Divyendu), a wanted bandit posing as a crude constable, focuses on stealing money from the railway locker despite the chaos in the city due to the gas leak.

In the first episode, the series pieces together the puzzle, leading to the group’s bad luck. Led by Iftekar Siddiqui, they try to find a safe way out of the gas. The gas leak, combined with the Bhopal Railway’s communication line going down, leaves people stranded with no means to call for help. Siddiqui, portrayed by Menon as a protective and responsible figure, is more concerned about the passengers on the next train, Gorakhpur Express, potentially being exposed to the gas. Menon’s portrayal captures Siddiqui's soulful understanding of trauma and fear, evident in his eyes as characters don makeshift masks to protect themselves from the gas. The burden of responsibility weighs heavily on Siddiqui as he strives to save the people on the railway, emphasising, “These people are our responsibility.”

Babil Khan, playing Imad Riaz, channels the beaten-down frustration of a young man responsible for his family, residing near the factory. Riaz, familiar with tragedy, handles loss matter-of-factly, expressing the instinct to protect. He joins forces with Siddiqui to lead people to safety, showing his commitment with lines like, “Mother is dead, sir. She lived metres away from the factory. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

Among these notable figures is Balwant Yadav, referred to as ‘constable’ by Siddiqui, who arrives at Bhopal station with the intent to steal from the stationmaster’s locker. As we observe Yadav, there is hope that Siddiqui’s trust and repeated use of ‘constable’ might transform him into a protector. However, this hope remains futile until the last episode. Divyendu’s portrayal of Yadav is entertaining as the crude and sly thief who occasionally quashes the antics of desperate survivors on the station. However, his character feels redundant at times. The parallel storyline of his attempts to steal the locker, running alongside Siddiqui’s efforts to save everyone, seems out of place. It appears more like a plot device to maintain excitement, which is already inherent in the story.

The year 1984 witnessed multiple tragedies in India, including the anti-Sikh riots, causing an estimated 8,000 deaths. Director Rawail intertwines this dark part of history with the bravery of railway officers in saving lives. While Siddiqui focuses on saving lives in Bhopal, Raghubir Yadav, as a train guard, selflessly protects Sikh passengers in the Gorakhpur Express train, namely Rajbir Kaur (Mandira Bedi) and her son, from a group of rioters. Although it might seem that too many storylines are running in parallel, the anti-Sikh riots not only shed light on a grim chapter in India’s history but also seamlessly connect with Siddiqui’s and Rati Pandey’s (R Madhavan) efforts to prevent more deaths.

R Madhavan, appearing alongside Kay Kay Menon in the opening credits, is the last of the main characters to appear on-screen in the second episode as Rati Pandey, the General Manager of Central Railways. Madhavan portrays Pandey with an authoritative yet non-menacing demeanour, swiftly addressing the gas leak that endangers Bhopal. Pandey joins the selfless heroics of Siddiqui and Riaz, rallying railway staff to send relief to Bhopal despite orders from the railway ministry not to do so.

The series sheds light on government inaction and bureaucracy through the character Rajeshwori Janglay (Juhi Chawla). Tied to the politics, she attempts to send help to the victims and survivors. Her perspective reveals the government’s inability to handle a disaster of this scale and the indifferent politics that allowed the release of Warren Anderson, the chairman of UCIL, to the US without facing the consequences. In the series, Anderson, played as Madsen, the American head of UCIL, by Philip Rosch, embodies the sociopathy associated with those unwilling to admit culpability in such a tragedy.

The experience of watching ‘The Railway Men’ is enhanced by exceptional cinematography and faithful production design. The art director and production designer, Rajat Podder, shared in an article with Scroll.in that they built the Bhopal railway station from scratch due to the unavailability of a real station matching the time’s design. The compact railway stations, attention to detail in surroundings, the stationmaster’s room, the Union Carbide interior with pipes and chemical fumes, and the slums in Bhopal are crafted to convey the catastrophic events realistically.

The series incorporates photographs from the tragic day to maintain accuracy. Skillfully, Kumawat, the reporter, enters a hospital filled with patients and captures images of the harrowing day, which is juxtaposed with real-life images. The decision to graphically represent the movement of trains on the screen is a sophisticated choice.

‘The Railway Men’ is a story with high emotional stakes, offering depth to characters in various settings. Aayush Gupta, the show’s writer, provides backstories for minor and supporting characters, intensifying the impact as the consequences of the leak unfold. In the station, a group of young swimmers discusses their recent championship loss, ultimately saving Sohini, a newlywed bride and the sole survivor of her wedding party. On the Gorakhpur Express train, Shazia, the widow of Riaz’s friend, travels with her young daughter and newborn, holding out hope of meeting Riaz at the other end. In the slums, we are introduced to Kamruddin (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), a Union Carbide manager, and his pregnant wife, Nafisa (Bhumika Dube), who, while envisioning a better future for their family, assist Kumawat in uncovering Union Carbide’s negligence.

The impact on ordinary lives evokes anger as the CEO of Union Carbide faces minimal consequences, leaving people to grapple with long-term effects. This isn’t the sole instance of administrative failure causing such disasters—the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Dhaka is another example where many lives could have been saved with proper care from the administration.

More distressing is that victims continue to suffer from the leak’s consequences. The miniseries depicts many victims left paralysed, children born with defects to pregnant women at the time, and ongoing generational fertility issues and pregnancy loss. Additionally, groundwater contamination from the factory’s chemical wastes remains a threat to lives. Recent studies also highlight a higher likelihood of cancer in men born up to 100 km from the gas leak.

‘The Railway Men’ provides emotional reprieve by completing the character arcs of the main characters, yet it also reveals the lasting impacts of the disaster. There is no happy ending for the victims still seeking retribution.

The Railway Men

Director: Shiv Rawail

Cast: Kay Kay Menon, R Madhavan, Divyendu, Babil Khan

Year: 2023

Episodes: 4

Language: Hindi

Available on: Netflix