Sixteen years after Mumbai's darkest night, the courtroom war fought to bring its perpetrators to justice is finally getting a cinematic reckoning. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the trailer of 'Prahaar – The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam' on Tuesday, 30 September 2026, a film based on the life of MP and advocate Ujjwal Nikam, the special public prosecutor who secured convictions in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case.

What Fadnavis said at the trailer launch

Speaking at the event, CM Fadnavis drew a direct line between the 26/11 attacks and the film's significance. 'हा केवळ मनोरंजनाचा विषय नाही तर हा एक संदेश देणारा चित्रपट आहे' ['This is not merely a subject of entertainment — this is a film that delivers a message'], he said. He added that the years-long legal battle fought against terrorism in the courts after the 26/11 attacks would now reach the public through this film.

The Chief Minister emphasised that India's police and judiciary had demonstrated to the entire world that India is a nation where justice is delivered through the rule of law. He specifically credited Ujjwal Nikam with ensuring justice for the martyrs, and said that for all the real heroes of that night, the ultimate justice was the world coming to know the truth about the terrorist conspiracy behind the attacks.

Nikam's role in the 26/11 trial and Kasab's conviction

Following the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks — which killed over 160 people across multiple sites over four days — Ujjwal Nikam was appointed special public prosecutor to handle one of the most high-profile criminal trials in Indian legal history. He built the prosecution's case against Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker, leading to Kasab's conviction and subsequent execution. The trial was scrutinised globally as a test of India's judicial process and its commitment to rule of law under extraordinary pressure.

Nikam is now a Member of Parliament, and the film frames his legal career — particularly the 26/11 proceedings — as the central narrative. Actor Rajkummar Rao plays Nikam in the film, with Wamika Gabbi also starring. The film is directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films.

Maharashtra's political stamp on a courtroom story

The trailer launch — attended by Nikam, the film's cast, director, and producer — carried an unmistakably political framing. CM Fadnavis paid tribute to the security personnel who fought through the night of 26/11, saying their courage in containing the attackers deserved lasting honour. Maharashtra's political leadership has periodically backed cultural projects that retell high-profile terror trials as affirmations of national resilience; this event fits that pattern, with a sitting chief minister lending the state's visible endorsement to a film about a serving MP's legal legacy.

For Maddock Films and director Avinash Arun, the project enters a well-established genre of Indian courtroom dramas drawn from real events — but few cases carry the global weight and emotional charge of 26/11. When 'Prahaar' reaches theatres, it will face the test of whether audiences are ready to relive the trial as much as the terror.