Trial By Fire Review: A hard hitting portrayal of unforgettable Uphaar cinema tragedy and injustice.
Trial By Fire Web Series Rating: 3.5 Stars
Just watched Trial By Fire Web Series on Netflix. So, let’s analyze the cast, release date, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this web series.
Cast: Rajshri Deshpande, Abhay Deol, Rajesh Tailang, Ashish Vidyarthi, Anupam Kher and Ratna Pathak Shah
Director: Prashant Nair, Randeep Jha and Avani Deshpande
Release Date: 13th January 2023 on Netflix
Duration: 7 Episodes/ 40 Minutes
Story: It is retelling of the devastating fire that engulfed Uphaar Cinema in June 1997, and the relentless 25-year-long fight for justice, of bereaved parents Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost both their teenaged kids in the fire.
Series revolves around Shekhar Krishnamoorthy (Abhay Deol) and Neelam Krishnamoorthy (Rajshri Deshpande) who lives a happy life with their children Unnati and Ujjawal. On the tragedy day both planned to watch the first day first showing of Border at the Uphaar cinema. They had no idea that this will be the final time their parents see them. Their worlds soon come crashing down in front of their own eyes as the awful news spreads.
While the families of many victims consider it an unfortunate accident and ready to accept their fate, the Krishnamoorthys realise that the deaths could have been prevented if only some of those responsible for running the theatre would have done their jobs honestly. The determined and stressed-out parent Neelam makes the decision to investigate the situation on her own. In her search for the truth, she discovers a number of inconsistencies that ultimately caused the cinema hall to go down in flames.
It seemed as though everything was working in sync together that day to make this catastrophe possible, from the fire department’s tardy entrance to the venue to the PA system and sprinklers that weren’t working properly to ushers closing the theatre’s gates. They pin the blame on real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal, whose quest for profit, they say led to their staff overlooking all safety measures to make sure that more and more people buy tickets to watch the popular film that was being screened that day.
In November 2021, a court in Delhi had sentenced the Ansals to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 2.25 crore for ‘tampering with the evidence’. This crucial development that once seemed impossible was largely the outcome of the efforts of the Krishnamoorthys and the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) that they formed with the family members of several other victims.
Positives
1. Excellent Performance
2. Direction
3. Cinematography
4. Climax
Negatives
1. Length
2. Slow Screenplay
3. Unnecessary Sub-plot
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this web-series, planned to watch on premiere day because it’s based on real life incident of Uphaar Tragedy of 1997.
This series follows the journey of Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy whose children Unnati and Ujjawal, perished in the tragic Uphaar fire disaster along with 59 other victims. It follows the persevering and bereaved parents’ fight for justice for those who fell prey to the mismanagement of the cruel staff and administration of the movie theatre.
This series is based on a book written by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who also serves as the series’ protagonists. The screenplay gives the show the feel of a thriller and this skill makes the appeal extremely effective. The creators of this series have given even the smallest details the utmost consideration. It rests in the way it catches certain situations, making you believe that they would have undoubtedly occurred. A family’s struggles as they battled Delhi’s largest builder (the Ansals were among Asia’s largest builders in 1997) are movingly depicted. The atmosphere is gloomy and depressing, which is a recurring theme across all of its episodes. Both parents are relentless in their chase of justice for their children from the moment they wake up in the morning until bedtime. The majority of the series’ scenes appear to be very authentic.
While everything is as immersive as it can be, there are two half-baked story lines that serve the purpose but don’t really fit into the puzzle in an organic way. The story is the electrician played by Rajesh Tailang gets a parallel plot which serves the larger picture but seems off track at large. Same goes with Ratna Pathak Shah and Anupam Kher’s storyline that is just present to add an emotional aspect to the narrative but goes nowhere beyond that. Although, the end could have been a little less abrupt. Perhaps a sequence giving a sense of closure to the Krishnamoorthys and other members of AVUT, while also making it clear that the fight over the larger issue continues.
Overall. series is a compelling watch, packed into seven intense episodes. Watch it, and we’re sure your blood will boil at the tragic injustice of it all. The pain feels all too real and the futility of it all, the reality of our country. If not for a few loose ends, it could have turned out to be much better. My view on this web-series is Highly Recommended because it isn’t just a show.
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