Trial by Fire

The bleak, hopeless, heartbreaking but realistic and blunt portrayal of a real-life tragedy specifically, but in general, it is the depiction of the deep-rooted and systemic corruption of our institutions and the insensitivity, indifference, and callousness of our people. Trial by Fire is an excellent show.

Rajshri Despande, I first noticed her in Angry Indian goddess, then in Sacred Games, but I must have seen her in other movies or Series because she is credited with 43 projects on her IMDb page, earliest in 2009. Most of them were small and forgettable parts (at least, I don't remember seeing her, not even in Talaash or Kick). It took her ten years since her debut to get widely noticed and a little bit of fame in Sacred Games. But neither the Angry Indian goddess, Manto, nor Sacred Games did justice to her talent. She got her due in Trial by Fire.

Her portrayal of a mother who lost her children and is fighting for justice is nuanced and layered. She displayed the whole gamut of emotions with ease and believability but without being melodramatic. She is heartbroken, shocked, distraught, hopeless, vulnerable, strong, resilient, determined, stubborn, focused, and unforgiving. She played the part with sensitivity and maturity and depicted rare mastery of the craft. She is phenomenal.

This was one of the best series (or even movies) that I have watched in a long time. I remember hearing about the incident back in the 90s, but really do not recall much aside from that. This drama told the story in such a great way... uncovering details at an excellent pace, and really making one feel they were watching things unfold in real time.

Rajshri Deshpande is absolutely incredible as the grieving mother, who lost her only two children to the avoidable tragedy. She goes on to lose herself in fighting against very rich, powerful people in an effort to find even a speck of justice.

Her portrayal of a grieving mother is as good a performance as you are going to see almost anywhere. Absolutely riveting! She should win awards for this. She does an incredible job!

While a sad, frustrating series to watch, I cannot recommend it enough. Outstanding!

It is heavy and intense. The tragedy is heart breaking and it is very well depicted in the series. The makers have used liberties to add some fictional characters to make it in an episodic form but totally justified. You will never feel anytime that anything has been taken lightly and genuine respect is given to the victims. I am glad that Netflix is giving importance to such events and producing a show like this. All the actors have done great job and the way the story unfolds is great. I wish more and more people watch this show as it is an important one. Trail by Fire is a great example how to make a real event show.

Trial by fire is soul stirring blow by blow account of the Uphaar Cinema Tragedy that rocked New Delhi on the fateful day of June 13, 1997. I must be only 1-1.5 years old then and did not have any knowledge on this issue until I started off my career as a journalist. 59 people died of suffocation due to a fire in an overly packed cinema hall where all the exit points were closed. Rest is history.

The series leaves no stones unturned and is quite unapologetic about the matter at hand. They makers have not sugar coated anything and have given space, time to all the factors that led to this massive travesty of justice. Even the milords of this great nation and their sense of justice isn't spared. Abhay Deol is a terrific actor and proves it again. Rajshree Deshpande with her poignant portrayal of Mrs. Neelam Krishnamoorthy who continues to fight for her kids and 57 others even after 26 years will move you to tears of despair and helplessness. It is a must watch for everyone of my gen, older and younger to know how your life doesn't matter in this country if you're not filthy rich. Like I was told once, some lives matter more than others.

Netflix

At one point of time in the last episode, it felt like my living room is filling up with smoke and I could smell the acrid fumes of the burning theater. The series waits until the very last episode to actually depict the tragic event and completely focuses on languish of the grieving parents, and their toil through the court case with a foregone conclusion through its first six episodes.

The parents grinded away for 25 years fighting the losing battle through the gut-wrenchingly prolonged delay when the rich and the powerful were afforded privileges of tampering with evidence, skipping court dates and pushing dates further and further away at their will. The listless melancholy that envelopes the series and the languid pace that is maintained is tactfully designed for the viewer to actually experience some of the drudgery in the comfort of their living room. It is not a court room drama; it is not a series that ends on high note or preach any social message. It takes you on a time-travel ride to 1997 and lets you be a bystander outside Uphaar cinema as the fire rages on and people perish. And while your outside escapes the fire, your inside smolders to black charcoal. It numbs you to hopelessness and you feel indifferent to the sheer absurdity of locking people in the balcony seats of a theater and the gross unaccountability of the several failures that culminates to the entire tragedy.

In one scene, when some of the hapless victims are trying to push the theater door trying to escape fire and others are pushing back because there is no room on the other side, the series will actually suffocate you. Every thump on the door will be felt inside your gut...

I wish to comment on so many other things, from acting, direction, cinematography, story, dialog etc. But my feelings about the series can be summed up in just one sentence: "Maybe some things last forever after all" (Luke Combs). It's a product of so much love, care, heart and courage by the whole team, especially by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, the parents of the two children who are credited with the story, that the series will live inside every viewer for their lifetime.