The trailer of Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam has been released, giving audiences the first detailed look at Rajkummar Rao as veteran public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

Directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, the film is based on Nikam’s career and focuses heavily on the legal proceedings that followed the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The movie is scheduled to release in theatres on October 16, 2026.

The trailer was unveiled at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, one of the locations targeted during the 26/11 attacks. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the launch along with Rajkummar Rao and Ujjwal Nikam.

Rajkummar Rao Plays Ujjwal Nikam

Rajkummar Rao takes on the role of Ujjwal Nikam, who served as the Special Public Prosecutor in the 26/11 case.

The trailer shows Rao in courtroom scenes as Nikam prepares the prosecution’s case against Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker captured during the Mumbai attacks.

The actor has changed his appearance and mannerisms for the role. His Marathi dialogue delivery and courtroom body language are among the most noticeable parts of the trailer.

At the trailer launch, Rao said that his attempt was to make audiences see Ujjwal Nikam rather than Rajkummar Rao. Nikam also said that the actor had studied his courtroom appearances and had worked on his manner of speaking and arguing cases.

The Story Moves Inside The Courtroom

Unlike films that focus mainly on the night of the 26/11 attacks, Prahaar shifts much of its attention to what happened after the attacks.

The trailer begins with Nikam questioning a young survivor about what she witnessed during the attacks. It then moves into the courtroom, where the prosecution faces the challenge of establishing the facts of the case.

The trial of Kasab becomes the central part of the story.

At one point in the trailer, Kasab is shown making a claim that he was a tourist who had come to Mumbai and was not a terrorist. The courtroom scenes then show Nikam attempting to challenge the defence and establish the prosecution’s case through evidence.

Jaideep Ahlawat And Sikandar Kher

The film has a strong supporting cast.

Jaideep Ahlawat appears in the film, while Sikandar Kher plays a lawyer on the opposite side of the courtroom. Wamiqa Gabbi plays Jyoti Nikam, Ujjwal Nikam’s wife.

Ashish Vidyarthi, Lalit Prabhakar and Ritvik Sahore are also part of the cast. Lalit Prabhakar plays Ajmal Kasab in the film.

The presence of these actors adds to the courtroom and political drama surrounding the central case.

Lalit Prabhakar Plays Ajmal Kasab

One of the most noticeable performances in the trailer is Lalit Prabhakar as Ajmal Kasab.

The Marathi actor appears in several courtroom sequences and is shown interacting with Rajkummar Rao’s character.

The trailer recreates parts of the legal proceedings and presents Kasab’s claims and the prosecution’s response as a major source of tension.

The casting of Prabhakar in the role has already attracted attention following the trailer’s release.

The Film Looks Beyond The 26/11 Attacks

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks took place between November 26 and November 29, 2008. Ten terrorists carried out attacks at several locations across Mumbai, including CSMT, the Taj Mahal Palace, Oberoi-Trident, Nariman House, Leopold Café and Cama Hospital.

According to Hindustan Times, the attacks left 166 people dead and 238 injured. Kasab was the only attacker captured alive.

Prahaar focuses on the legal proceedings that followed the attacks rather than simply recreating the violence.

The case became one of the most closely followed criminal trials in India, with the prosecution presenting evidence about the attackers, their handlers and the wider conspiracy.

Ujjwal Nikam’s Role In The Case

The Kasab trial became one of the most prominent cases in Ujjwal Nikam’s career.

Kasab was convicted and sentenced to death by a special court in May 2010. The Bombay High Court confirmed the sentence in February 2011, while the Supreme Court upheld it in August 2012. Kasab was executed at Yerwada Central Jail on November 21, 2012.

The film uses this legal battle as its main dramatic setting.

The trailer shows Nikam working through witness testimony and evidence while dealing with the pressure surrounding one of the country’s most closely watched trials.

Trailer Launched At CSMT

The location of the trailer launch carried particular significance.

CSMT was among the places attacked during the 26/11 terror attacks. Nearly 18 years later, the station became the venue for the launch of a film centred on the legal proceedings that followed those attacks.

Ujjwal Nikam was present at the event along with Rajkummar Rao and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Speaking at the launch, Fadnavis discussed the importance of the legal process following the attacks and praised the film’s focus on the courtroom battle.

Avinash Arun Directs The Film

Prahaar is directed by Avinash Arun, known for projects including Three of Us and Paatal Lok.

The director has chosen to focus on the legal and personal sides of Nikam’s story rather than making the film solely about the 26/11 attacks.

The trailer also gives glimpses of Nikam’s life outside the courtroom, including his relationship with his wife, played by Wamiqa Gabbi.

This gives the film a second layer, showing the pressure that comes with handling a case of such national importance.

October 16 Release

Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on October 16, 2026.

The trailer has now set up the central conflict: a prosecutor, a high-profile terrorism trial and the challenge of proving the case through evidence and the legal system.

With Rajkummar Rao leading the cast, the film will bring the Kasab trial and Ujjwal Nikam’s role in it to the big screen through a courtroom-focused story.