CM Fadnavis Unveils Trailer of '26/11 Film' Prahaar in Mumbai
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the trailer of Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam in Mumbai, a biographical film on the 26/11 special prosecutor starring Rajkummar Rao, directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan.
Key Takeaways
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the trailer of Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam in Mumbai on 30 September 2026 .
The film is based on the life of MP Adv.
Ujjwal Nikam , Special Public Prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial.
Rajkummar Rao portrays Ujjwal Nikam; the film is directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films .
The trailer launch honoured the families of 26/11 martyrs including Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar, Sandeep Unnikrishnan, and Tukaram Omble.
Fadnavis called the film 'not merely entertainment' but a vehicle carrying 'an important chapter of our history.'
A film nearly two decades in the making — at least in the national conscience — finally has a face and a trailer. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the trailer of Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam in Mumbai on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, marking a rare moment where the corridors of law, the fog of terror, and the lens of cinema converge in one room.
The film centres on MP Adv. Ujjwal Nikam, the Special Public Prosecutor who helmed the legal battle following the 26 November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks — one of the most consequential criminal trials in Indian judicial history. Fadnavis, who described Nikam's 'professionalism, determination and patriotism' as 'deeply memorable', attended the launch alongside the film's principal cast and crew.The Faces Behind the Film
Actor Rajkummar Rao plays Ujjwal Nikam in the biographical drama, with actress Wamiqa Gabbi also featuring prominently. The film is directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the Maddock Films banner. The trailer launch brought together Nikam himself — now a sitting Member of Parliament — alongside the filmmaker and producer, a rare convergence of the real protagonist and his cinematic interpreter on the same stage.The Night Mumbai Bled — and the Trial That Followed
The 26/11 attacks — a coordinated assault by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants — left over 166 people dead and the city scarred. The subsequent trial, in which Nikam secured the conviction of lone surviving attacker Ajmal Kasab, was a landmark in Indian counter-terrorism jurisprudence. Fadnavis paid tribute to the officers who fell that night: Hemant Karkare, Maharashtra's ATS chief; encounter specialist Ashok Kamte; senior inspector Vijay Salaskar; NSG commando Sandeep Unnikrishnan; and constable Tukaram Omble, who physically restrained Kasab at the cost of his own life. At the launch event, the families of these martyrs were formally honoured.Cinema as Historical Record
Indian cinema has periodically returned to major terror incidents and security operations — a pattern that reflects the public's enduring need to process, document, and commemorate. Prahaar adds a legal dimension that most such films skip: the courtroom is as much a battlefield as the street. Fadnavis underscored this framing in his remarks, saying the film 'is not merely about entertainment — it carries a message and brings an important chapter of our history before the people.' With 26/11 anniversaries annually renewing national memory of that night, the theatrical release of Prahaar is poised to arrive as both a cultural event and a civic reckoning. The martyrs' families standing in that room at the trailer launch were a reminder that for some, this is not history at all — it is still the present.Point of View
And now to biographical film subject, traces a pattern in which institutional figures associated with counter-terrorism wins are accorded hero status across multiple public spheres. For the BJP-led Maharashtra government, championing a film that foregrounds the prosecution's role in convicting Kasab reinforces a consistent messaging arc around national security and rule of law. The real test will be whether the film, once released, sustains the legal nuance of a landmark trial or collapses it into simpler triumphalism.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the film Prahaar about?
Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is a biographical film on Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, depicting his role in the legal battle following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and tracing his broader life journey.
Who plays Ujjwal Nikam in Prahaar?
Actor Rajkummar Rao portrays Ujjwal Nikam in the film.
Who directed and produced Prahaar?
Prahaar is directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the Maddock Films banner.
Who is Ujjwal Nikam?
Ujjwal Nikam is a senior advocate who served as Special Public Prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial, securing the conviction of attacker Ajmal Kasab. He subsequently became a Member of Parliament.
Why did CM Devendra Fadnavis attend the Prahaar trailer launch?
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis attended the trailer launch in Mumbai to pay tribute to the 26/11 martyrs and their families, and to publicly endorse the film as an important historical document about a defining chapter in Mumbai's history.
