I can vouch Rajkummar Rao can become a lawyer: Ujjwal Nikam

At the India Today Conclave Mumbai recently, public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam waxed eloquent about National Award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao’s ability to imbibe his mannerisms and spirit in Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, which functions both as a biopic of Nikam as well as a courtroom drama.That Rao was able to do so without meeting Nikam before the shoot or observe him in court made it all the more impressive. Nikam was a busy man and Rao had to turn to video clips and his interactions with the media to get a sense of how Nikam conducted himself.“He loves talking and has a knack on how to command the room,” said Rao of Nikam. “His energy is different in the courtroom.” To nail the part, Rao focused on the voice and his physicality and gained some weight.Rao had Nikam’s thumbs up. “I can vouch he (Rao) came become a lawyer,” said Nikam with an approving smile. “In fact, so many of my friends were shocked after seeing the teaser and asked if he was moving along with me? They saw the same josh in him as in me.” The film primarily lays out the years-long court battle that Nikam fought to ensure that Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist to be caught alive during the 26/11 attacks in 2008 on Mumbai, was found guilty and got the death penalty for his crimes.Nikam was surprised that Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films wanted to make a film on him, especially since narratives based on the 26/11 attacks had already been seen before, both on the big screen as well as in web series. But he was convinced when they (Maddock) laid out the reasons why the story was worth telling.Nikam just had a few conditions. “There should be no glorification of any character, including myself,” he said, adding that he wanted as far as possible to use the real names of all the participants in the trial. “In a way, they were acting as my advocate to reply to the public” about the questions they have about what happened behind closed doors, he said.Rao, of course, knew of Nikam as the special prosecutor who even fought the 1993 Bombay blasts case and then of the 26/11 attacks. “But never in my wildest dream did I think that FTII boy Avinash Arun, who was a year junior to me, will come to me and say play him. I was so happy that Dino (Dinesh Vijan) and he thought of me to play the part,” said Rao.While Rao was playing a part older than him as well as one he bore little physical resemblance to, the actor cast aside his doubts. “Jab koi cheez mujhe darati hai, mujhe usse aur karne ka mann karta hai (The more something scares me, the more I want to do it),” he said. “I love what Ujjwal Sir has done for the country and I was mesmerised by the script.”Rao promises that Prahaar will give audiences many insights into the 26/11 case and offer a peek into the man outside the courts—one who lived in a small hotel room in Mumbai for over two decades fighting the good fight.This isn’t Rao’s first outing in the crisp black coat and white shirt. He won the National Award for playing another real-life lawyer in Shahid. But he notes that both films are very different. Prahaar, he says, “is more about national interest” and one that shows the international conspiracy at play in the attacks. There is also an arc involving his wife (played by Wamiqa Gabbi), who was ailing when he was fighting the case. On the other hand, Shahid was more focused on his life. But doing the two parts, Rao admitted, has made him familiar with legal terms.When asked about the toughest scene he shot, Rao cited the one where a girl child actor had to give the testimony. “Everybody in the courtroom was silent because she was doing so well; it was very emotional for us,” said Rao. “It was such a beautiful environment that Avinash Arun had created.”Nikam recounted his meetings with Kasab and his impressions of him too. “Itna badmaash tha, puri tarah se trained tha (He was notorious and totally trained) on how to deal with the media and the police and what to say,” he said.Nikam spoke of how Kasab called him “Badshah” in court. “He’d constantly spin different stories,” he added. “He was very cunning.” When asked what would be the biggest takeaway for audiences from Prahaar, Nikam replied: “Hamara samvidhaan sabse bada hai (Our Constitution comes above all).”Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends