Web Series Review: Abhay Deol’s ‘Trial by Fire’ is excellent and powerful, watch it if you haven’t seen it

The Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy is one such tragedy in Indian history, the pain of which is still being felt by the families of 162 people. A fire broke out on 13 June 1997 in this cinema hall located in the Green Park area of ​​Delhi. JP Dutta’s superhit film ‘Border’ was playing in the theatre. It was around 3 in the afternoon. The packed cinema hall started burning in flames. 59 people died of suffocation in this accident, while 103 people were seriously injured in the stampede. It was not just a tragedy, there was also a long legal battle that followed the incident. Randeep Jha and Prashant Nair’s web series ‘Trial By Fire’ is the story of this tragedy of history and the long battle of the victims’ families after that. The strong acting of Abhay Deol and Rajshri Deshpande makes this series the best.

Story of ‘Trial by Fire’

The story of ‘Trial by Fire’ series progresses along with Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamurthy. Neelam and Shekhar’s children Unnati and Ujjwal are among the 59 victims who died in the tragic Uphaar fire. The series is about the fight for justice of a parent in pain and grief who has become a victim of brutal theater staff and mismanagement by the administration.

Review of ‘Trial by Fire’

If the ‘Trial by Fire’ series has to be summed up in one word, it is: AMAZING. It beautifully and powerfully captures the struggle of two parents who lost both their children in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire. As easy as it is to talk about justice, how difficult its path is, this is what the series shows. Excellent direction, stellar performances by the actors make ‘Trial By Fire’ an immersive experience. The show explores the reasons behind the incident. It was an incident that made headlines for many years before the court’s verdict and sentencing. This mini-series is a must watch.

The series begins with 17 year old Unnati and 13 year old Ujjwal. Both are getting ready to watch the first day show of ‘Border’ at Uphaar cinema. He has no idea that this is the last day of his life. When Neelam and Shekhar get the news that the cinema hall is going up in flames, their whole world appears to go up in flames before their eyes. As a parent, this is a shattering event for anyone. Both decide that they will not accept this truth just like that. Will go to the bottom of its reasons. Will get the culprits punished.

Neelam and Shekhar’s fight begins with a personal investigation. It was as if everything was working together that day to make this catastrophe possible. Late arrival of fire brigade vehicles, PA system and sprinklers not working properly. An important part of the series also shows Neelam and Shekhar uniting the parents and family members of the rest of the victims to fight the legal battle.

Trailer of ‘Trial by Fire’

This series leaves a strong impact on you as a viewer. Many such situations have been shown in the series, after which you also start believing that this must have happened. Ansal, the biggest builder of Delhi, was then among the biggest builders of Asia in 1997. The journey of a family’s struggle to fight against the system and the people with access turns emotional at times. Emotions like sadness and despair are part of more or less every episode. Parents are engaged from morning till night in pleading for justice for their children. Most of the scenes of the series are kept in a very factual manner.

The heart and soul of this series resides in Rajshree Deshpande aka Neelam Krishnamurthy. His performance is excellent and it stays with you for a long time. She has done an exceptional job as a grieving mother. She is heartbroken, but still continues to lead the fight for justice. Abhay Deol touches the heart in the character of Shekhar in the series. He is a great actor, but it is also true that he has been away from the screen for a long time. But thanks to this series, he will definitely return to the headlines.

Anupam Kher and Ratna Pathak Shah’s characters are not very large, but they keep your interest even in their short screen time. Apart from these, Rajesh Tailang who is playing the role of Veer Singh in the series leaves a wonderful impression. Sarla (Kiran Sharma), Advocate Kapoor (Aasif Ali Baig), and Amrita (Nimisha Nair) also add soul to their characters.

The series is based on the book written by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamurthy. The makers have made him the hero of their series. The screenplay of the series gives you the feel of a thriller and is extremely effective. The creators of the show have taken full care of even the smallest details. If you want to see something good and strong then ‘Trial by Fire’ is a ‘must-watch series’.