Key facts
- Rajkummar Rao plays real-life prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in Prahaar
- Film centres on the prosecution of 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab
- Kasab demanded death penalty — Nikam led the case to conviction
Rajkummar Rao steps into the shoes of renowned public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in the teaser for Prahaar, a film that dramatises the prosecution of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the 26 November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
The teaser presents Rao in a commanding courtroom avatar, voicing Nikam's historic demand for Kasab's hanging — a moment that gripped the nation as the legal proceedings following the attacks unfolded. Ujjwal Nikam, Maharashtra's most high-profile special public prosecutor, was the face of the state's case against Kasab, who was eventually convicted and executed in 2012.
The choice of Rajkummar Rao for the role is significant. Known for physically and emotionally transformative performances, Rao appears to have immersed himself in Nikam's mannerisms and bearing. The film's premise puts it squarely in the tradition of Indian courtroom dramas anchored in real events, a genre that has seen renewed audience interest in recent years.
Prahaar arrives at a time when content rooted in true crime and national security events continues to draw strong viewership both in theatres and on streaming platforms. The teaser's release has already generated considerable conversation online, with audiences and critics responding to the weight of the subject matter and Rao's apparent intensity in the role.