The trailer of Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam has arrived, and the film is already drawing attention for bringing a crucial chapter of India’s recent history to the big screen. Starring Rajkummar Rao as prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, the trailer was unveiled at Mumbai’s iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST), in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ujjwal Nikam himself. While the trailer offers a glimpse into the legal and personal journey at the heart of the film, producer Dinesh Vijan also opened up about the memories and emotions surrounding the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and what led him to bring Nikam’s story to audiences.
Talking about the night of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and how the tragedy affected people across the city, Dinesh Vijan said, “Initially, it was a shock; for every father, the immediate concern was the whereabouts of his son or daughter, and for every child, it was about their parents and grandparents. I think for the first hour or so, everyone was just trying to locate their loved ones. Then, they realized the scale of the event—it was far bigger than just the people close to them; the entire city was under attack. I don't think a single friend or acquaintance of mine slept that night; everyone was glued to the TV, trying to comprehend what had happened. No one slept that night. No one in my house slept; I’m sure no one in my entire street slept. Everyone was on the phone, though not necessarily talking—because, as mentioned, there was shock. That shock turned into anger by morning.”
For Vijan, the decision to make Prahaar became clearer after his conversation with Ujjwal Nikam. Recalling that meeting, he said, “Let me tell you about when I met Ujjwal-ji. I asked him, ‘Why make this film? What is the film's perspective?’ My first question to him was, ‘Why did it take so long?’ When he explained the process and the difference between this event and the '93 attacks—I was in school back then, too young to understand much, though I remember being told we were being picked up early as all the kids were sent home—he explained that he had to incorporate the lessons learned from '93 into the handling of 26/11. That discussion alone took an hour. I realized there is so much riveting information that we aren't aware of.” His comments offer a glimpse into the kind of behind-the-scenes legal and procedural details that the film aims to explore.
Dinesh Vijan further explained what he hopes audiences will take away from the film, adding, “Watching this film—and seeing how we handled the situation—will make you feel proud of who we are. There is a line in the trailer itself: ‘The world will be watching.’” That line from the trailer captures the scale of the story being presented, as Prahaar goes beyond the headlines surrounding the attacks to focus on the legal journey and the work that followed. At the centre of the film is Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared for the prosecution in the trial involving Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker from the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the Maddock Films banner, Prahaar features an ensemble cast led by Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar Kher. Rajkummar takes on the challenging role of Ujjwal Nikam, while Wamiqa portrays Jyoti Nikam. The film looks at both the professional pressures surrounding Nikam’s high-profile cases and the personal side of the man behind the courtroom battles, giving the story a broader human dimension.
Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is now gearing up for its theatrical release on October 16, 2026. With its trailer launching at CST, the film has already begun conversations around a story that combines courtroom drama, real-life events and the personal journey of a prosecutor who became closely associated with one of the most watched trials in the country. As Dinesh Vijan’s memories and words suggest, Prahaar is looking beyond what audiences already know about 26/11 and attempting to bring some of the lesser-known details of what followed to the screen.