Who Is Ujjwal Nikam? The Prosecutor Behind Rajkummar Rao's 'Prahaar'
From the 1993 Bombay blasts to the Kasab trial, Nikam led some of India's biggest prosecutions. He is now a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha.
Rajkummar Rao's new film _Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam_ is due in cinemas on October 16, 2026. It is based on the career of one of India's best-known lawyers. Here is who Ujjwal Nikam is, and why his story was made into a film.
The prosecutor of India's biggest terror trials
Nikam is a criminal lawyer from Maharashtra who became famous as a special public prosecutor, the lawyer who argues the state's case, in a series of landmark trials. He is best known for:
- The 1993 Bombay serial blasts case: the coordinated bombings in Mumbai that killed hundreds of people, and one of the longest and most complex trials in Indian legal history.
- The 26/11 Mumbai attacks case: the prosecution of Ajmal Kasab, the only attacker captured alive during the November 2008 attacks. Kasab was convicted, sentenced to death and executed in 2012.
Over his career he became known for securing convictions, including death sentences, in high-profile cases, and for his media presence outside the courtroom.
Honours and politics
- Padma Shri, 2016: the government awarded him India's fourth-highest civilian honour, citing in particular his work on the 1993 blasts and 26/11 cases.
- Lok Sabha, 2024: he contested the general election from Mumbai North Central as a BJP candidate and lost narrowly.
- Rajya Sabha, 2025: in July 2025, President Droupadi Murmu nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in the law category, under the constitutional provision that allows the President to nominate people with special knowledge or experience. He was nominated alongside former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, historian Meenakshi Jain and educationist C. Sadanandan Master.
The film
_Prahaar_ stars Rajkummar Rao as Nikam. It was earlier expected in August before moving to October. As with any biopic, the film is a dramatised account; viewers interested in the real cases can follow the court records and contemporary reporting.
Courtroom stories have a strong pull for Indian audiences, and this one arrives in a crowded month. See the rest of October's film line-up.
Sources
This article draws on the following reporting. Dates are when each source was originally published.
- The Tribune: Ujjwal Nikam, Sadanandan Master, Shringla, Meenakshi Jain nominated to Rajya Sabha
- ETV Bharat: 'Will Try To Strengthen Country's Democracy', Says Ujjwal Nikam On Rajya Sabha Membership
- Free Press Journal: 15 from Maha get Padma honours
- Outlook India: Bollywood Movies Releasing In October 2026: Full List Of Hindi Films To Watch
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