I left the theatre feeling emotionally heavy. One can imagine the impact Prahaar had on me. The film stars Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi in lead roles. It tells the lesser-known story of Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam and terrorist Ajmal Kasab’s trials after the tragic 26/11 Mumbai Blasts. The film is emotionally charged and is backed by some terrific performances, some of which stay long after the credits roll. Read our review here.
Plot
The film revolves around Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam’s historic courtroom battle during terrorist Ajmal Kasab’s (Lalit Prabhakar) trial. It also recounts the terrifying and dark past of the 26/11 Mumbai Blasts. The film simultaneously deals with the personal life crisis of Ujjwal Nikam by exploring his relationship with his wife Jyoti Nikam (Wamiqa Gabbi) and their son Aniket (Ritwik Sahore). Prahaar somewhere tries to find a balance between its subplots. It also sheds some light on th diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan after the terrorist attack. But the major plot is centred inside the courtroom.
What Works
Prahaar effectively delivers the emotions for the subject that it deals with. There’s little room to go wrong here, but the commendable part is that the emotions aren’t dramatised or sensationalised. It simply lets you connect with them. I found myself feeling angst and grief in moments when the witnesses recounted the horrifying series of events that unfolded on the night of 26/11. These moments force you to confront a dark past that will never be forgotten but will always be viewed with fresh anger.
The exchange of arguments between Ujjwal Nikam and Zulfikar Ali (Sikander Kher), Ajmal Kasab’s lawyer, is intriguing. This tension is built gradually, with enough attention given to each side of the argument. There is a brief but impactful cameo of Jaideep Ahlawat as Pakistan’s Public Prosecutor Zulfikar Ali. This is significant to the plot, but I loved how this subplot is carefully woven into the storyline to create an impact more than you’d think. The on-screen camaraderie between Rajkummar Rao and Jaideep Ahlawat is heartening.
Prahaar also makes some strong social commentaries. It only touches upon them enough without deep-diving, but the messaging comes across loud and clear.
What Doesn’t Work
Ujjwal Nikam’s relationship with his wife and son is a necessary part of this story. But the film fails to do justice to the subplot. In many moments, this also feels like a distraction from the gripping central plot of the film. The relationship between Ujjwal Nikam and Zulfikar Ali hits harder than the conflict that Ujjwal Nikam has with his son. It somewhere adds a cliched melodrama to the film where the emotional quotient is missing.
Performances
Rajkummar Rao is brilliant as the protagonist, embodying the Public Prosecutor with perfection. His dialogue delivery is top-notch! It’s refreshing to finally see Rajkummar Rao break away from small-town boy roles and return to the good ol’ Aligarh and Shahid days! Lalit Prabhakar dominates the screen as Ajmal Kasab; I am still not over those unsettling facial expressions! The actor certainly delivers strong acting skills in the film that will be remembered for years to come. Sikander Kher, as always, never disappoints. He keeps his performance grounded and honest to what the character demands. Jaideep Ahlawat is effortless! Wamiqa Gabbi does a great job in portraying Jyoti Nikam, and explores something new with this character. Although we would have loved to see more impact from her character. Ritwik Sahore gets the character’s emotions right!
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Verdict
Avinash Arun creates some hard-hitting moments in Prahaar, which have been visually etched into my memory. There will be moments when tears will automatically roll down your eyes, and that’s when you know a film has done its job. The performances are top-notch. The storytelling, though familiar, is effective. Prahaar deserves your time at the movies!