Movie Mahal

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Prashant Nair, Randeep Jha & Avani Deshpande’s Trial by Fire is a vacuum of rage; the rage of two parents who lost their children due to criminal negligence in one of the deadliest fires in India. This is by far the best Netflix Indian TV series to date and is light years ahead of everything that has come before it. In fact, it is a monumental achievement, a testament to the magnificence of Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy who dedicated their lives to seeking justice for the victims of the Uphaar cinema fire that unfolded in 1997.

In the past, and when streaming sites didn’t hoover up anything and everything distinctly topical and palatable an audacious mini-series like Trial by Fire would have more than likely found its way onto a prime Doordarshan slot. In some respects, this should have been a major television event in India but it sadly was not but I guess I shouldn’t really complain when we have Netflix as an algorithmic gatekeeper who lords over the vagaries of what matters, and what does not.

The unconventional narrative structuring of the events, an extensive timeline that stretches over many decades, is handled effortlessly and takes us on a detailed journey of Neelam and Shekhar’s story, coming up against a corrupt judicial system geared towards providing immunity for the decrepit wealthy ruling elite with their cabal of parasitic lawyers, namely The Ansal Group, one of India’s biggest real estate corporations who oversaw the operations of the Uphaar cinema and did everything in their power to avoid taking responsibility.

In returning to the scene of the crime in the final episode creates a palpable and unbearable sense of tragedy and which is staged with a gut-wrenching intensity. It is a work anchored in two distinctly brilliant performances by Abhay Deol and Rajshri Deshpande, and a commanding supporting cast. It is the penultimate episode which unfolds largely in one space, using long takes and seamless edits, that demonstrates a stylistic aptitude and willingness to break out of aesthetic constraints. In all, essential viewing.