Maharashtra CM Fadnavis praises Rajkummar Rao, Ujjwal Nikam at Prahaar trailer launch

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis praised Rajkummar Rao and Ujjwal Nikam at the trailer launch of 'Prahaar' at Mumbai's CSMT, saying the film carries a message beyond entertainment. He lauded Nikam's role in the Kasab trial, called 26/11 state-sponsored terrorism, honoured fallen police officers, compared the film to 'Chhaava', and urged people to watch it.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the storyline of Prahaar: The Untold Story Of Ujjwal Nikam and praised the makers at the film’s trailer launch at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on Tuesday. The film’s trailer was unveiled at the station, which was among the locations targeted during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.Fadnavis began by expressing his gratitude to the makers for choosing a subject centred around the 26/11 attacks and the legal battle that followed. He also praised actor Rajkummar Rao, who plays veteran public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in the film, and said Prahaar was not merely about entertainment but also carried a message. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maddock Films (@maddockfilms) Talking about the handling of Ajmal Kasab after the 26/11 attacks, Fadnavis said, “Perhaps if we wanted, we could have killed Kasab. We could have shot him. But our police and our judicial system very thoughtfully showed the world that India is a state where, at least, we can take action against terrorists.”He went on to praise Advocate Ujjwal Nikam for his role in the Kasab trial, saying, “And I would especially like to thank Ujjwal Nikam ji because he did not just work to ensure that a terrorist was sentenced to death; he also exposed the design behind it, the conspiracy behind it, before the world.”Fadnavis further alleged that the 26/11 attacks were linked to Pakistan and described them as “state-sponsored terrorism”. He credited Nikam with bringing what he described as the conspiracy behind the attacks before the world.The Maharashtra CM also spoke about the recognition of Pakistan in the context of terrorism, referring to it as a country that “supports terrorism”. He said he had the opportunity to examine the matter closely and went on to praise Nikam’s handling of the case.Praising Nikam’s approach, Fadnavis said, “Jis professionalism ke saath, jis shiddat ke saath, jis deshbhakti ke saath Ujjwal Nikam ji ne is poore case ko steer kiya...” He credited Nikam’s work with highlighting the sacrifice of the police personnel who lost their lives during the attacks.Fadnavis referred to the sacrifices of officers including former Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare, Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, senior police inspector Vijay Salaskar and Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble, among others. He said that had these officers not been present on the ground, justice would not have been delivered in the same way.He also praised the film’s cast and crew, particularly Rajkummar Rao, saying, “Main Prahaar ka bahut-bahut aabhari hoon... Aur Rajkummar Rao jaise accomplished actor, aur poori team itni accomplished hai.”Fadnavis added, “Toh main yeh keh sakta hoon ki yeh mere entertainment nahi, ismein ek sandesh hai.” His remarks suggested that he viewed the film as carrying a message beyond entertainment.Drawing a comparison with Chhaava, Fadnavis said films can help bring important chapters of history and the lives of historical figures to a wider audience. He noted that Chhaava had brought the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, to the screen and said Prahaar similarly brings the story of Ujjwal Nikam and the 26/11 case before audiences. Fadnavis concluded by urging people to watch Prahaar, adding that he would watch the film himself.