Trial by Fire

wide eyed and absolutely invested in the big screen experience, I couldn’t think of a better escape and I’m sure most of the cinema enthusiasts whom through their life experiences have fallen in love with that communal viewing experience felt the same way. The idea of feeling unsafe never crossed anyone’s mind, for the gruesome circumstances would only happen to the fictional characters on the big screen. This is the what the lawyer representing the families whom lost their loved ones on 13th June 1997 in Uphaar Cinemas in Green Park while watching Border wanted to make the counsel understand, how gross negligence and absolute apathy from the owners led to the death of 59 people! What’s also interesting is that a petition was filed by real estate magnate Sushil Ansal seeking a temporary halt to the streaming of the series, which was to be launched on January 13 and thankfully the high court, passed the judgement in Netflix’s favour, refusing to halt its release. Based on real events, several accounts of the series are taken from Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy’s written book, the tragic tale of the uphaar Fire Tragedy! A 25 year battle of parents wanting the rich and powerful to pay for their negligence and sins, a loss unfathomable to parents is to leave this world before their own kin and I can’t even imagine the emotional impact this series may have on parents as the series is not only compelling in its storytelling but gut wrenchingly painful! The cinematography by Runal Hattimuttar and Saumyananda Sahi immediately transports you to Delhi in the 90s, everything from the clothes the characters wear, the hairstyles that were relevant to the colour of the worn out buildings, it not only transports you to another decade but is technically exceptional, especially in all its glory in episode 6 and 7. We get introduced to the Krishnamoorthy family, while the father entertains the children playing video games, the mother runs helterskelter from room to room, a common occurrence in most indian households. You already understand the dynamic, whom wears the pants in the house, who is the good cop who is the bad cop but more than anything else, it represents a loving family that never envisioned the curve ball life would throw at them. The series essentially is a slow burn but this almost seems necessary to truly make you empathise and root for the case of the main characters. The traumatic event is categorically shown in glimpses initially, the processing of death probably being the most heartbreaking element of the series in my eyes. The loss of a loved one hasn’t fully sunk in and one is subjected to clerical paper work that needs to be done so that their final rites can be conducted. One hasn’t shed a tear and is told to say goodbye forever. This especially emotionally impacts you while shredding light on the patriarch of the family whom has lost 7 family members in the fire. He is constantly reminded of his financial incapability to conduct the final rites of his loved ones but the man can’t help but look with an empty gaze, still in a daze of what transpired. This is showcased through how the Krishnamoorthy’s also process their death, life and everything in their surroundings almost take the shape of something they can’t see or hear. Lost in their thoughts, they are constantly alarmed by sudden noises like a doorbell or the telephone. Their flesh and blood passed away but they were left with so many unanswered questions, such lack of clarity or closure makes them uneasy, seeking for some form of peace, through the justice system. An expression of empathy starts sounding like empty noise as the parents grieve, Rajshree Desphande heartbreakingly looks at the footage of the tragedy, Abhay breaks down knowing that his children were trapped and suffered in their last moments. Processing grief also becomes so personal, each individual wants to present that they are strong, that they can get through the biggest waves of adversity but cry alone as they lock themselves in their bathrooms. A day where a cinema hall turned into a crematorium, those whom lost their loved ones come together to fight the puppeteers. Those whose identity are cleverly not even showcased till the concluding episodes of this series. Faceless, powerful and influential men whom are so empathetic to the tragedy, that they never appear in court! In a career defining performance, Rajshree Desphande portrays a grieving mother, constantly on the look out for answers to absolute perfection. Abhay Deol is extremely dependable as the loyal husband whom falters along the way but always acknowledges and understands the reason why they embarked on this journey. Even though I personally feel that the perspectives of Ashish Vidyarthi as a wheeler dealer of the powerful accused and Anupam Kher and Ratna Pathak Shah’s track didn’t really have the desired impact, its admirable the perspectives and several timelines that have been knit together in a very clever screenplay written by Prashant Nair and Randeep Jha. The rich threaten, the common man suffers and this is especially true when the pursuit is the truth. The narrative hits home even further because its a story of the late 90s but a legal battle that carried on for more than 25 years. A character states, noticing Neelam’s persistence that this country easily forgets things and you’ve carried on the battle. The series juxtaposes brilliantly the polarising emotions, of one celebrating moving into an apartment while the other sifts through corpses being shifted out of the cinema hall. Shardul Bhardwaj and Rajesh Tailang appear in sub plots, exploring their relationship to the tragedy and how it individually affected them. Both putting forth stellar performances but Kiran Sharma especially stealing the show as a grieving wife, anxiety ridden with the development in her husbands life. Episode 6 of the show is editing and staging done at its finest, changing timelines and perspective in single shots that will make any cinema enthusiasts jaw drop in disbelief. Trial By Fire easily becomes one of the most memorable and emotionally impactful series I’ve seen in years. I would easily put it in the same vicinity as the impact the first season of Delhi Crime had on me! In a time period where streaming has taken a backseat while people are heading for the big screen experience, this is a series that will definitely stay with you for days, especially knowing the current predicament after such a long hard fought battle!