Rajkummar Rao’s upcoming film ‘Prahaar – The Ujjwal Nikam Story’ is based on the life of Ujjwal Nikam, the prosecutor who represented the state in the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. In a recent chat, Ujjwal Nikam shared the condition he put forward before allowing the makers to bring this major chapter of his life to the big screen.
Ujjwal Nikam shares that he asked, ‘There should be no glorification’
Speaking to India Today, Ujjwal Nikam said, “My first condition was that there should be no glorification of any character, including myself. I also told them to use real names of all the characters who had participated in this legal proceeding, and the makers took no objection certificate from the concerned people, including the judge, Mr Madan Laxmandas Tahaliyani.”Judge Madan Laxmandas Tahaliyani had pronounced the trial court verdict that sentenced Kasab to death on May 6, 2010.
Ujjwal Nikam’s praise for Rajkummar Rao
Ujjwal Nikam had warm words for the actor’s commitment to the part. He said, “Let me praise Rajkumaar Rao. He lived like Ujjwal Nigam. He would emphatically and forcefully say points of the submission; he brought in that same Josh, otherwise Rajkummar is a very silent and soft person. So, I was shocked when I saw the trailer and other things; the other lawyers asked me whether Raj was moving along with me, I said no.”In the same conversation, Rajkummar Rao shared that he had never met Ujjwal Nikam before shooting, as the lawyer was busy. To prepare, the actor studied videos of Nikam’s courtroom arguments.
About ‘Prahaar – The Ujjwal Nikam Story’
Directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, the film is a biographical courtroom drama. Rajkummar plays public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, and the story centres on his role in the Kasab prosecution in the 26/11 case. Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sikandar Kher and Ashish Vidyarthi play important roles. It releases in theatres on October 16, 2026.
Rajkummar Rao’s upcoming projects
Rajkummar was last seen in the Netflix film ‘Toaster’, alongside Sanya Malhotra. Besides ‘Prahaar’, he has several films lined up, including ‘Raftaar’, the biopic of former cricketer Sourav Ganguly titled ‘Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story’, and the third film in his hit franchise ‘Stree’.
