The Railway Men Review: The Netflix series stars Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Juhi Chawla, Divyenndu Sharma, Babil Khan, Sunny Hinduja, and others. Directed by Shiv Rawail, the screenplay is by Aayush Gupta. The show tells the untold story of railway heroes who saved many lives during the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The series consists of four episodes lasting an hour.
The synopsis reads, “A tale of the unsung heroes, whose sacrifice and resilience saved thousands of lives, on a night that changed Bhopal forever.”
Netflix’s The Railway Men Review Contains No Spoilers
The first episode is an introduction to our railway men, mainly Iftekaar Siddiqui. The story starts 16 hours before the methyl isocyanate gas leak at a factory in Bhopal, which wrecked human lives forever. Watching the characters go through their normal lives without having any idea what catastrophe is going to strike them is heartbreaking. As a viewer, you are aware of what’s going to happen. Yet, you are not ready to see it play out on the screen.
We learn how the gas leak tragedy was a ticking bomb about which the factory workers and people in powerful positions were aware. It makes you wonder—why did no one care? From Episode 2, the distress seeps deep into your skin. People are full of hopes and dreams as the clock ticks. Watching so many hopes, ambitions, and lives crumble in a matter of a few seconds disturbs you. No matter how distressing the tone of the series, it’s essential to know the impact of human error that has cost hundreds of lives.
A disaster like this never occurs unexpectedly, and the series explores how often there were signs of the gas being a threat. However, some people are ignorant when they know something will benefit them. During such mishaps, the good, bad, and ugly sides of humankind come out. The people in Bhopal, especially those on the railways, risked everything they could to save others. But seeing their attempts fail because they’re unaware of what they’re running away from is truly distressing.
We know the cause and effects of the Bhopal gas tragedy. Through Netflix’s The Railway Men, we get to see the fear and agony during the gas leak, as people scream for help, clueless about what’s exactly happening to them. Even though attempts are made to help, you’re aware that it is very late.
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Like Kaala Paani, the makers of this series focused more on human survival, instincts, and motives than on the tragedy overall. There were unsung heroes in every corner of the city who risked everything for the sake of humanity. It inspires you, but it also makes you sad that an incident like this occurred in the first place.
The Railway Men cast consists of some amazing actors. But it is Kay Kay Menon who delivers the most impactful performance as Stationmaster Iftekaar Siddiqui. Kay Kay’s earnestness and conviction made Iftekaar such a humane and real person. A character like this had all the possibilities of becoming self-righteous or getting into the saviour complex zone. But the writing and his acting bring out such a balanced act of human nature, comprising concern, care, fear, helplessness, and strength.
Babil Khan is my second favourite in the series. From a goofy ball of sunshine in Friday Night Plan to a responsible and compassionate man, his range is something to look forward to. Within a short span of time, the actor has left such a good impression and a curiosity to know what he’s capable of. Actors R. Madhavan, Juhi Chawla, Sunny Hinduja, Divyenndu and others have played their parts well.
The Railway Men Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, The Railway Men on Netflix is a must-watch. It doesn’t dramatise the tragedy. The series brings much-needed subtlety and honesty to the sacrifices of these people. Packed with remarkable performances, this soul-crushing show serves as a reminder of bravery these unsung heroes.
The series is now streaming on Netflix.
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Okies….im at episode 2 now, and the survivers at the station is just fighting, screaming, insult, and pointing finger at eahother, so far its a mess to watch, destroy7ng their water supplies, its crasy,
I hope not the rest of the show its like this, im gonna lie down with a bad heade,
And each episode is a whole houer, they could splitt it up to twelve, its too loong,
Thank you allah its ony four episodes,
That kid in the train could he not hook up something so the people could sit on/in,
My score so far: 2.5 of 5, i hope they stop yelling at some point and work together,