Prahaar: Rajkummar Rao wins praise as Ujjwal Nikam in 26/11 courtroom drama

Rajkummar Rao is the big talking point of Prahaar: The Untold Story Of Ujjwal Nikam, a courtroom drama in which he plays the public prosecutor who led the case against 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab.

Avinash Arun directs. The film stays mostly on the Kasab trial, the case against the lone terrorist caught alive after the Mumbai attacks. It also follows Nikam at home, where his wife, played by Wamiqa Gabbi, and their children carry the cost of his long absences.

Early reviews agree that Rao holds the whole film together. His Nikam is driven and grave, and he makes the part feel completely real. The first half also wins praise, with tension rising steadily towards a strong interval.

The supporting cast is solid too. Sikandar Kher and Jaideep Ahlawat both get a big thumbs up, and Ashish Vidyarthi makes his scenes count. Lalit Prabhakar plays Kasab, and Ritvik Sahore is also in the cast.

The home front is where the film draws most of its criticism. Gabbi gets little room to work with, even though her performance is noticed, and the family scenes are seen as the weaker side of the drama. Views on the second half are split. Some find its stretches intense, while others feel it drifts away from the courtroom.

Reviewers also note that the film looks at 26/11 from a new angle. Instead of going back over the attacks, it puts the legal fight for justice at the centre.