Veteran public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam has praised Rajkummar Rao’s performance in Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, saying the actor has brought his life story to the screen with honesty and sincerity. The biographical drama focuses on Nikam’s role in prosecuting Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. While the courtroom remains central to the story, the film also sheds light on the man behind the headlines, revealing the personal sacrifices and quieter moments that rarely made it into public conversations.
What Ujjwal Nikam said
Speaking about the film, Ujjwal Nikam praised both Rajkummar Rao and director Avinash Arun for staying true to his journey. “Rajkummar Rao has delivered a remarkable performance, and Avinash Arun’s direction is deeply impressive. Prahaar authentically portrays not only my journey as a public prosecutor but also my life as a husband and a father,” said Ujjwal.
A story beyond the courtroom
The film explores a side of Nikam’s life that many people have never seen. While the public remembers the verdicts and landmark cases, Prahaar looks at the emotional burden and personal experiences that unfolded away from the spotlight. “People remember the verdicts. They rarely remember the nights before them, Prahaar shows that side, the part no headline ever carried,” he said.
Nikam, who has prosecuted several of India’s most significant criminal cases, including the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, said the weight of those responsibilities often came with a sense of loneliness.
He shared that the film finally gives voice to emotions he had never publicly expressed. “I’ve argued cases where the whole country was watching, and the loneliness of that responsibility is something I never spoke about. This film does. It stays honest to what happened, and in doing so, it tells a story I myself struggled to put into words,” he said.
Teaser was recently unveiled
The teaser offers a glimpse into one of the most defining chapters of Ujjwal Nikam’s career, centring on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the trial of Ajmal Kasab. It opens with Rajkummar Rao as Ujjwal Nikam delivering a powerful statement: “In the past year and a half, because of this case, many people have repeatedly asked me—when photos and videos clearly show what happened, why are we not hanging Kasab?”
The teaser then moves through intense courtroom proceedings, intercut with visuals from the 26/11 attacks. Addressing the court, Rajkummar’s Ujjwal Nikam says, “For a moment, put yourself in Inspector Govilkar’s place on the night of 26/11, the officer who was shot by Kasab. Obviously, he would have been filled with anger. And when Kasab was finally caught alive, Inspector Govilkar did not say, ‘Shoot him, finish him off quickly.’ Instead, he said, ‘Yala maru naka’ (Don’t kill him). Why did he say this? The answer is very simple: India.”
The teaser ends on a powerful note as Nikam makes his final submission before the court, saying, “That is why, for the crime of waging war against India, I, Ujjwal Nikam, demand that Ajmal Amir Kasab should be hanged till death.”
The film also stars Wamiqa Gabbi, Sikandar Kher and Jaideep Ahlawat. Directed by Avinash Arun, known for Three of Us and Paatal Lok, and produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is scheduled to release in theatres on August 7.