The trailer of Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is out. The film is a biopic on noted special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who represented the prosecution in the trial of Ajmal Kasab following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Aamir Khan was reportedly attached to play Nikam initially, but eventually stepped away from the project, with Rao taking over the role. The film is directed by Avinash Arun, known for Paatal Lok, Pritam and Pedro.
From the very first shot to the final frame, the trailer appears to tread familiar ground. There is little in its visual language that feels particularly fresh or revealing, especially for a subject as intrinsically compelling as Nikam and one of the country’s most defining terror trials. The dialogues too seem restrained when it comes to the sensitivity and emotional weight one would expect from such a story. The couple of lines that the makers appear to be positioning as major hooks are not really the legal confrontations or courtroom moments one might have been waiting to see.
Beyond that, much of the trailer fizzles out rather than building momentum. The hope is that the makers have deliberately held back the more compelling and crucial portions for the film itself. Even the scenes featuring Rajkummar Rao with Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar seem more staged than organically charged. Given the personalities and the subject at hand, one would expect a sharper sense of tension and an intensity that grabs you rather than merely presenting itself on screen.
