Rajkumar Rao is once again seen in the role of a lawyer. The actor, who won the National Award for his brilliant performance in 'Shahid', has played the role of the country's famous lawyer Ujjwal Nikam in the film 'Prahar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam'. The film depicts the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Ajmal Kasab's trial and the legal battle leading to his execution. Rajkummar Rao's acting is the biggest strength of the film, but due to the weak script and storytelling style, the film fails to make an impact at many places.
Tezzbuzz Desk – Some historical events get added to an artist's life spontaneously. Rajkumar Rao's film 'Shahid' was released in the year 2012. He received the National Award for Best Actor for playing the role of lawyer Shahid Azmi in this film. At that time, perhaps the actor would not have even imagined that after about 14 years, he would also be seen in the role of the country's famous lawyer Ujjwal Nikam. Nikam had fought a legal battle to hang a terrorist like Ajmal Kasab.
Director Avinash Arun's film 'Prahar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam' is also a biographical drama. However, the characters in both the films have different objectives. In 'Shahid', Rajkummar Rao's character fights to get justice for innocent people, while in 'Prahar' he is seen fighting to get justice for the victims of terrorist attacks and punishment for Kasab.
What is the story of 'Prahar'?
Apart from Rajkumar Rao, Vamika Gabbi, Lalit Prabhakar, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar Kher are in important roles in the film. The story also mentions the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, but mainly focuses on the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the legal battle that followed.
The film starts with the wedding scene of Ujjwal Nikam's daughter. After this, incidents of terrorist attacks on Taj Hotel and CST station come to light. The story progresses and Ujjwal Nikam starts fighting the case against Ajmal Kasab. The film takes us through various aspects of this legal battle till Kasab is hanged.
People already know a large part of this story. What happened in this case between 2008 and 2012 has been part of the public record and media coverage. In such a situation, the question arises that when films and web series have already been made on Mumbai attacks, then why watch 'Prahar'? The answer to this largely lies in Rajkummar Rao's acting and Ujjwal Nikam's attempt to portray his personal struggle on screen.
Ujjwal Nikam's legal battle and personal life struggle
'Prahar' tries to show that the impact of terrorist attacks is not limited to the place of occurrence. This attack also challenges humanity, humanity and the system of justice. For Ujjwal Nikam, it was not just a fight to win the case in court, but also a mission to ensure justice against terrorism.
The film also depicts the conflict between Nikam's personal life and professional responsibilities. On one hand there is the legal battle against Kasab, Pakistan's diplomatic challenges and the constantly changing situation in the court, while on the other hand there are family responsibilities like his wife's serious illness, conflicts with his son and daughter's marriage.
Nikam's determination to stick to his goal amidst these circumstances is an important aspect of the film. He continues his fight despite all difficulties and ultimately succeeds in getting Kasab punished.
Rajkumar Rao has played this character with complete seriousness. An attempt has been made in the film to bring out Nikam's struggle and his determination. One of his dialogues related to Kasab also brings forward his perspective, in which he says, “I do not get the happiness of winning a case unless the pain of guilt arises within the accused.”
Rajkumar Rao played the character of Ujjwal Nikam in his own style.
In terms of acting, 'Prahar' becomes Rajkumar Rao's film to a great extent. Understanding the personality of Ujjwal Nikam, he has presented the character in his own style. Usually in biopics, actors try to imitate the body language, manner of speaking and personality of the real person. Ranbir Kapoor in 'Sanju' and Anupam Kher in 'The Accidental Prime Minister' are examples of this.
Instead of imitating Ujjwal Nikam, Rajkummar Rao brings out his personality through his acting. Although Nikam's Hindi has the influence of Marathi accent, this influence seems limited in Rajkumar Rao's dialogues. Marathi words are definitely heard at some places, but their Hindi pronunciation sounds like that of normal Hindi speakers.
Despite this, his acting is the strongest link of the film. He portrays the character's emotional and legal struggles effectively on screen.
Supporting actors also left their mark
The work of other actors in the film is also noteworthy. The presence of Jaideep Ahlawat in the role of Pakistani officer Chaudhary Zulfikar Ali gives seriousness to the story. Sikandar Kher has performed well in the role of Kasab's lawyer, while Lalit Prabhakar has got a chance to showcase his talent in the role of Ajmal Kasab.
The story gets a different expansion through the character of Kasab. Lalit Prabhakar has left his mark in this role. Hrithik Sahore's acting in the role of Aniket Nikam, son of Ujjwal Nikam is also good. Whereas, Ashish Vidyarthi leaves an impact in the role of Justice ML Tahiliani.
However, Vamika Gabbi is not able to impress much in the role of Jyoti Nikam, wife of Ujjwal Nikam. His problem seems to be more in presenting the age and personality of the character easily than in acting.
There was a gap in the story and screenplay
Despite good acting, the film falls short on many fronts. Its biggest challenge was that many films and web series had already been made on the Mumbai attacks and Kasab's trial. In such a situation, 'Prahar' should have presented something new in the way of storytelling, so that the audience could connect emotionally and get a different experience.
Sadly, the script does not fully meet this challenge. The first half hour of the film seems quite slow and dull. A courtroom drama doesn't necessarily need extra spices to make it entertaining, but it could have been improved by more emotional depth and effective delivery.
This emotional impact is visible in some parts of the film. Rajkummar Rao's monologue is also effective, but due to the lack of connection and way of presenting the story, the film tests the patience of the audience at many places. Writer Sumiya Roy and director Avinash Arun don't quite live up to expectations on this front.
'Prahar' could not show the complete story of Ujjwal Nikam
Another major weakness of the film is that Ujjwal Nikam's long legal career is mainly confined to Kasab's trial. The title of the film suggests that it will also cover broader aspects of Nikam's life and his legal struggle.
The 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts are definitely mentioned, but other high-profile cases related to Nikam's career are not given any detail. Her roles in cases such as the Gulshan Kumar murder case, Pramod Mahajan murder case and the 2013 Mumbai gang rape case have also been important parts of her professional life. By including these aspects the film could have been made more comprehensive and inspiring.
In this way the film is not able to fully utilize the potential of Ujjwal Nikam's life and career. His life could have become an inspiring story for people working in the legal field and youth who aspire to enter this profession, but the film wastes this opportunity to a great extent.
However, the film tries to bring out several important aspects of the Mumbai attacks. Through the character of Kasab, aspects like preparing the youth for terrorism in Pakistan, showing them dreams of money and heaven have been shown. Scenes like Kasab hearing Azaan in jail and asking whether Eid is celebrated in India too try to bring out his perspective and background.
How is 'Prahar'?
'Prahar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam' is a film based on a serious subject, in which Rajkummar Rao's acting is the biggest strength. The supporting actors also make an impact in their roles. However, due to a weak script, slow start and limited portrayal of Ujjwal Nikam's life, the film does not reach the level that could have been expected from it.
If you are interested in Rajkummar Rao's acting and courtroom drama, the film may attract you. But the film falls short in adding much new to the already existing stories on the Mumbai attacks and Kasab's trial.
Movie Information:
- Film: Prahar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam
- Director: Avinash Arun
- Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Vamika Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Ashish Vidyarthi and Sikandar Kher
- Rating: 2.5/5