On June 13, 1997, a massive fire broke out at the Uphaar theater during a screening of the Hindi film Border. As a result, 59 people lost their lives in the blaze. The tragedy inspired the birth of the web series 'Trial by Fire,' which is currently streaming on Netflix.
In addition to Rajshri Deshpande and Abhay Deol playing the roles of Neelam and Shekhar in the series, other cast members include Rajesh Tailang, Anupam Kher, Ratna Pathak, and a few others.?
However, what makes Trial by Fire successful is Deshpande and Deol's portrayal of the distraught parents who battled and toiled for justice for over two decades against tremendous obstacles.?
Although they are a middle-class family with access to a computer, a car, and WLL phones in 1997, their despair in the face of governmental bureaucracy are apparent.
The first several episodes focus on the couple's unfathomable pain, society's reaction to them, and their emotional struggles to overcome the tragedy, find closure, embrace the new normal, and understand that they cannot run away from it.
?Its execution is so fantastic at times that you could find yourself choking and trying to hold back your tears.
The series, which dropped on January 13, is helmed by Prashant Nair, who has adapted the book to screen with Kevin Luperchio and has directed the series with Randeep Jha.
Here is what the internet saying about the series:?
The victims' relatives rallied together after the tragedy to establish The Association of Victims of Uphaar Fire Tragedy. They later brought a historic civil compensation case against the cinema's owners, brothers Gopal and Sushil Ansal.A series of lengthy and convoluted legal hearings have resulted in many punishments for the brothers.?
The Deccan Herald reported in August 2015 that the Supreme Court of India had given the theater's owners two years in jail if they failed to pay the victims' families Rs. 60 crores in compensation (about USD 8.3 million).
Sushil Ansal, a real estate tycoon who was found guilty in the case involving the 1997 fire at the Uphaar cinema, argued on Wednesday before the Delhi High Court that the web series 'Trial by Fire,' which is believed to be based on the incident is an indirect attack on his character.??
Ansal, who claimed defamation, asked the court to issue an injunction against the release of the web series, claiming that its teaser had 1.5 million views in four days, demonstrating its immediate impact.
You can start streaming the show here.
(To?read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading?Indiatimes BINGE)