Bollywood won’t let you forget 26/11. But neither would the memories.
RATING: 3 stars
As he builds a case against Kasab, he faces off against Abbas Kazmi (Sikandar Kher), the only lawyer willing to represent the captured terrorist. The film also offers a glimpse into Nikam’s personal life, introducing his wife (Wamiqa Gabbi), son (Ritvik Sahore) and daughter, all of whom have had to contend with his prolonged absence as he throws himself into high-profile cases. How Nikam navigates the courtroom battle and ultimately seeks justice for the victims forms the rest of the story. Director Avinash Arun, along with writer Sumit Roy, has zeroed in on an interesting subject. Prahaar is neither a conventional India vs Pakistan narrative nor one that relies on religious fault lines to make its point. The first half is crisp, establishing the tension effectively and moves towards a compelling interval point. There’s also Jaideep Ahlawat as Pakistani prosecutor Zulfiqar Ali. That entire track (all of it true, by the way) is executed superbly. A special mention for the powerful dialogues by Sumit. A film like this did not need to devote so much time to Nikam’s family life. Yes, we need to understand who they are and what his demanding profession costs him personally. Two subplots, concerning his strained relationship with his son and his wife’s health problems, occupy more screen time than they warrant. In trying to flesh out Nikam as a family man while also dramatising the courtroom proceedings, Prahaar ends up spreading itself too thin. What begins as a gripping legal drama gradually becomes an exhausting watch. Overall, Prahaar has a story that should have been difficult to look away from, yet it occasionally tests your patience with its own digressions. A film about Ujjwal Nikam had the opportunity to capture the fight for justice with the emotional weight it deserved. Instead, it gets caught between a courtroom drama and a family saga, losing some of its grip on both in the process. And yet, there is enough here to keep the film from becoming a missed opportunity altogether. Prahaar comes a little close.
The story begins with Nikam’s appointment as public prosecutor in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks. But given the enormity of the 26/11 attacks, the narrative would have benefited from keeping its focus firmly on the tragedy and the legal battle that followed, rather than repeatedly diverting attention towards Nikam’s attempts to balance his personal and professional lives. The 26/11 attack remains one of the darkest scars on our nation’s memory. The wounds of 26/11 do not need another cinematic reminder of their existence; they deserve a retelling that does justice to the magnitude.
