Hindi
Mission Raniganj premieres on &pictures
Mumbai: Experience a gripping story of heroism and courage with the channel Premiere of “Mission Raniganj” on &Pictures on 5 Friday July at 8 pm. This tale of bravery and determination is based on the real-life rescue mission of 1989. Mission Raniganj pays tribute to the late Jaswant Singh Gill, who heroically saved the lives of 65 miners trapped in a flooded coal mine. Akshay Kumar stars as Jaswant Singh, showcasing unwavering resolve and courage as he uses a specially designed rescue capsule to save the trapped miners.
Immerse yourself in a thrilling survival drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Mission Raniganj not only captures the tension and urgency of the daring rescue operation but also delves deep into the emotional and psychological struggles faced by the miners and their rescuers.
Akshay Kumar said, “I am immensely joyful to bring Mission Raniganj to homes across India. This movie is more than just emotions, it’s a powerful punch of survival and thrilling drama; it’s about sharing Capsule Gill’s story. Being part of this film has made me realize the power of such stories to uplift, inspire, and unite people. With Mission Raniganj, we aim to honour true heroes from every corner, generation, and era. I urge the audiences of India to tune into &Pictures for the channel Premiere and witness the spirit of courage and hope come alive.”
Mission Raniganj is more than a film—it’s a tribute to the indomitable human spirit and the unsung heroes who risk everything for the greater good. As it brings to life the thrilling rescue operation led by Jaswant Singh Gill and his team, the film serves as a reminder of the potential for heroism in each of us.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
