Real names, no glorification: Ujjwal Nikam reveals conditions set for Prahaar makers

At India Today Conclave Mumbai 2026, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam spoke about the conditions he set before the makers of Prahaar – The Ujjwal Nikam Story and said the film should not glorify any character. Nikam, who represented the prosecution against Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, said he asked the team to use the real names of those involved in the legal process and said the required no-objection certificates were taken, including from judge Madan Laxmandas Tahaliyani.Joined by actor Rajkummar Rao, who plays him in the film, Nikam also spoke about how the project first took shape and praised the actor's performance. The film's teaser points to a story built largely around the Kasab trial, one of the most significant chapters of Nikam's career, and presents it as a courtroom battle that extended beyond the court itself.Nikam said that about two years ago, Maddock Films' Dinesh Vijan and the film's director, Avinash Arun, approached him and began informal discussions on the facts of 26/11. He said the conversations included details that had never come on record, with the clear condition that he would not divulge those facts. He said he first wondered why they wanted to know so much, and told them that many films had already been made on 26/11.According to Nikam, they told him they wanted to make a film because they had specific questions in mind, including why the process took so long, why Kasab was tried according to Indian law, and what he was going to say. Nikam said he liked those questions and felt they were, indirectly, acting as his advocates. He then asked who would play his role. The conditions he setLater in the session, Nikam said his first condition was that there should be no glorification of any character, including himself. He said the makers agreed. He also told them to use the real names of all those who participated in the legal process. According to Nikam, the team accepted that as well and obtained no-objection certificates from the people concerned, including judge Tahiliani, who dealt with the judgement. He added that the film shows some parts of his life, his arguments and the submissions that were seen in court.Praise for Rajkummar RaoNikam reserved special praise for Rao, saying the actor 'lived like Ujjwal Nikam' and brought out the emphatic, forceful nature of his courtroom submissions. Describing it as 'the same alertness, the same energy', Nikam said Rao is otherwise very quiet, so he was surprised when he saw the trailer and the performance in it. He added that several of his lawyer friends asked whether Rao had been moving around with him to observe him closely, and he told them he had not.The courtroom drama centred largely on the Kasab trial after the 26/11 attacks. Directed by Avinash Arun, the film also stars Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sikandar Kher and Tarun Sharma, and is slated for a theatrical release on October 16.- Ends