What Is The Story About?
Netflix’s latest Indian original series ‘Trial By Fire’ is a 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.
‘Trial By Fire’ is directed by Prashant Nair, along with Randeep Jha and Avani Deshpande; written by Prashant Nair, Kevin Luperchio, Avani Deshpande and Sandeep Shrivastava; and produced by Endemol Shine India and House Of Talkies.
Performances?
Rajshri Deshpande and Abhay Deol are a masterclass in acting, as they play the shell-shocked, bereaved parents, Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, with no-nonsense precision. If Rajshri Deshpande is all fire and fury, Abhay Deol is calm, composed and rock-like in support.
The thing to appreciate most about Abhay Deol is that he has no qualms in letting Rajshri Deshpande take centre-stage in almost every sequence they feature in together. Only an extremely assured actor, who’s totally secure in their talent, would play second fiddle to their fellow actor, and still come out shining like a beacon – Abhay Deol has proved time and again that he is that actor. Together, the duo of Deshpande and Deol delivers a cracker of a powerhouse acting display in Trial By Fire.
Rajesh Tailang is the other actor in the series who simply stuns with his effortless, nuanced portrayal of a electric repairman made the scapegoat in the entire sordid and tragic disaster. Helplessness and resignation play hide and seek on his otherwise emotionless countenance, drawing the viewer into his story, making us acutely aware of the burden he has to bear.
The rest of the stellar cast of Ashish Vidyarthi, Anupam Kher, Shardul Bhardwaj, Ratna Pathak Shah, among others, all lend formidable support to the narrative in their trademark ways.
Analysis?
The first thing that strikes you as you prepare to watching ‘Trial By Fire’ on Netflix is the intimidating runtime – seven episodes, 45 minutes each on average; intimidating because you already know what the story is about, it’s non-fictional, and lastly, you know it’ll be a difficult, harrowing watch. But when you actually get down to watching the series, time flies….literally. You watch without a break, clicking on ‘Next Episode’ as soon as the previous episode is over, and finally, 5+ hours seem to have gone by in a blink. Yes, ‘Trial By Fire’ is that gripping a watch – it is stellar storytelling at its compelling best.
Director Prashant Nair has got holding his viewer enthralled down to an art form. But with ‘Trial By Fire’, be has touched a new, different standard of storytelling. A sense of foreboding permeates the narrative, right from the first frame itself. And within the first few minutes of Episode 1, it takes us smack into the devastating incident at the heart of this incredible true story.
The story doesn’t waste time on flowery fillers. Nor does it take recourse to melodrama to slam home the massive tragedy that strikes the Krishnamoorthys and the families of other victims of that fire that raged unchecked in Uphaar Cinema on that fateful day. Not an iota of film is wasted on useless trappings and trimmings or needless frills and froth, to lighten the storyline. The narrative gets straight to the point, and bluntly at that. Modes and machinations are established swiftly and starkly, thereby keeping audience interest at its peak.
The telling of the tale is as taut and tense as a tightly-coiled spring, leaping at us at opportune moments, to leave us dumbfounded at the extent of the tragedy, and the audacity of the Ansals in trying to get away scot-free. That the Ansals ultimately succeeded in the latter is the shameful reality of a nation and a system that chooses to forgive and forget all too easily, relegating every such tragedy to the ashes of history, and with it, the memories of murder—murder is but a mild word to describe the incident, carnage is more like it—and numerous lives extinguished.
The crisp and austere storytelling is propped up by excellent attention to detail. The story unfolds over two and a half decades – requiring tremendous detailing to capture the various time periods well on screen. But the crew is up to it in more ways than one. As the narrative unfolds in a non-linear fashion, oscillating elegantly between time periods, tiny but important transitions happen – mobile phones change from clunky to sleek; ringtones change too; clothes and dressing styles evolve subtly; the characters age noticeably on screen, from Neelam’s pigmentation patches and weight gain over the years, to Shekhar’s greying hair and increasing girth – all of it indicates an obsessive attention to detail, the kind that transforms a series from good to extraordinary.
The first and last episodes are especially difficult to watch. Several scenes remain seared on your mind for long afterwards. The series has several standout moments – Neelam’s incredulous, almost jealous look when she finds out that while her kids perished in the fire, their friend Arjun survived; Or Shekhar’s anguished cry at the Ansals’ office; the last-episode reveal of Nupur and Sohan’s son, and how it ties in with their description of him in the second episode; the way every myriad strand of the story comes together into a seamless whole in the final episode; and yes, the entire episode titled ‘Villains’ – it is so exquisitely shot that it seems like poetry in motion – see it and you’ll definitely agree with us.
To sum it up, Trial By Fire 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.
Music And Other Departments?
Benedict Taylor and Naren Chandavarkar’s background score brings out the piercing throbbing tragedy at the heart of the story. The urgent, evocative, haunting notes are poignant and moving, apt for the story they want to tell. Saumyananda Sahi’s cinematography is superb, embellishing the story in stunning ways. We’d like to again cite the episode ‘Villains’ to lend credence to our appreciation of the terrific camerawork in the series. Xavier Box’s editing is crisp and flawless.
Highlights?
The performances, especially of Rajshri Deshpande and Abhay Deol
Prashant Nair’s direction
The excellent cinematography
The exquisite attention to detail
The perfect pacing
Drawbacks?
A couple of tracks seem forced – Shardul Bhardwaj’s and Anupam Kher’s for instance.
Did I like it?
Yes
Do I recommend it?
Yes
Trial By Fire Web Series Review by Binged Bureau
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