The Railway Men: From film to web show, director Shiv Rawail reveals why

MUMBAI : Director Shiv Rawail's web series, "The Railway Men," based on the Bhopal Gas tragedy, was originally conceived as a film script before being adapted into a successful web series. Rawail sheds light on the decision-making process behind this transformation in a recent interview.

"The Railway Men," starring Babil Khan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu Sharma, and R Madhavan, captivated audiences globally with its gripping narrative and stellar performances. Despite being initially envisioned as a film, the project found its true form as a 4-part mini-series, resonating strongly with viewers.

Rawail reveals that the lack of imagery or footage from the night of the Bhopal Gas tragedy posed a significant challenge during production. Everything depicted in the series had to be meticulously re-created and re-imagined to authentically convey the horrors of the tragedy.

Also Read: Must Read! Kay Kay Menon speaks about his character in The Railway Men and why he took up this role

He explains, "When we were doing the research, we realized there is no imagery or footage of the night. So, everything had to be recreated by us. We have to make it believable for you. So, the world has to look like it belonged to that night."

Initially scripted as a feature film, Rawail and his team realized that condensing the story into a film format would require removing crucial elements. This led them to reconsider the format and ultimately decide to develop it as a web series instead.

Rawail recalls, "First, we wrote the film script, which was like 130-140 pages. Then we were like what if we have to make it into a feature film, we would have to remove a lot of elements! That is when Adi Sir (Aditya Chopra), Ayush Gupta (Writer), and myself found ourselves losing things we really loved. That is when Adi sir suggested why don't we do this as a show. And there it was, YRF was looking to step into streaming!"

"The Railway Men" stands as a testament to the extraordinary heroism displayed by the employees of the Indian Railways on the night of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Rawail's decision to adapt the story into a web series allowed for a more comprehensive and immersive portrayal of the events, resonating deeply with audiences worldwide.

Also Read: Wow! The Railway Men teaser! The series is all set to throw light on the Bhopal Gas tragedy with the point of view of the railway staff

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Credit: Pinkvilla