Director Avinash Arun revealed that Aamir Khan approached him to direct ‘Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam’ after watching his work on the crime thriller series ‘Paatal Lok’. Aamir Khan had initially considered playing public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in the film. However, after that plan did not materialise, he brought Avinash Arun on board to direct the legal drama.In an interview with Variety India, Avinash Arun spoke about Aamir Khan’s decision and the creative approach he adopted for the film. Starring Rajkummar Rao as Ujjwal Nikam, ‘Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam’ revisits the legal battle following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The director wanted to explore the case through the courtroom rather than present it as a conventional terrorism-focused narrative.
Aamir Khan approached Avinash Arun after ‘Paatal Lok’
Avinash Arun credited Aamir Khan with offering him the opportunity to direct the project. Khan reportedly became interested in his work after watching ‘Paatal Lok’ and believed he would be suitable for the film.“Basically, I got a call from Aamir Khan for this one. At some point, he was interested in playing this character, but that didn’t work out for some reasons,” Arun says. “But he got me on board because he had seen ‘Paatal Lok’ and felt I would be the right guy for it. So I’m really, really grateful to him for thinking of me in this way.”
Rajkummar Rao plays public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam
‘Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam’ features Rajkummar Rao in the lead role. Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sikandar Kher and Ashish Vidyarthi also appear in the film.The story centres on the legal proceedings connected to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the prosecution of Ajmal Kasab. Ujjwal Nikam led the case against Kasab, making his work as a public prosecutor central to the film’s narrative.Avinash Arun aimed to present the familiar case through a different cinematic lens. Instead of relying on a straightforward account of the terror attacks, he wanted the courtroom proceedings to drive the narrative and encourage audiences to examine the case more closely.“Everyone already knows about the case, so I wanted to approach it more like a legal thriller rather than a standard anti-terrorist story,” he said in a chat with Variety. “It shouldn’t be overly self-explanatory. It has to be told intelligently so that it generates curiosity and makes people want to learn about what actually happened.”
Conversations with Ujjwal Nikam shaped the film
Avinash Arun’s conversations with Ujjwal Nikam helped him understand the emotional dimensions of the case. The director viewed the tragedy as an experience of collective loss, while also examining the mindset behind radicalisation and the patience required during lengthy legal proceedings.“For me, this incident was about collective grief and common catharsis,” Avinash Arun says. “Exploring that radicalised mindset alongside the immense patience required by the legal process was the real backbone of the film.”
‘Prahaar’ records Rs 23.76 cr worldwide gross
Avinash Arun also discussed the difficulties of releasing thrillers and slice-of-life films in cinemas. He believes audience preferences have made theatrical prospects increasingly uncertain for filmmakers working outside mainstream commercial cinema.“The theatrical space is becoming much more difficult over time, over the period. Audiences don’t want to come and watch those [thrillers or slice-of-life] films anymore,” he says. “Single screens are still working, and if you look at the films that are working with single-screen audiences, they’re all masala films. So that’s the struggle.”Meanwhile, ‘Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam’ collected Rs 60 lakhs in India net earnings on its eighth day, Friday, October 23, according to Sacnilk. The film recorded the collection across 849 shows, marking a 50% decline from Thursday’s Rs 1.20 cr. Its worldwide gross has reached Rs 23.76 cr, including domestic and overseas earnings.
