Trial by Fire: Netflix series is a gripping deep-dive into human tragedy and delayed justice

Stars: Rajshri Deshpande, Abhay Deol, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Shardul Bharadwaj 

Modern India has a record of forgetting man-made disasters that show systemic failure. The Uphaar cinema fire tragedy in 1997 is not one of the forgotten ones, thanks to relentless pursuit for legal justice by the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy.

Leading this fight for decades are Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost their teenage children - Unnati and Ujjwal- in this fire. Based on their book, Trial by Fire: The Tragic Tale of the Uphaar Fire Tragedy, the Netflix Series, titled, Trial by Fire,  is a strong, unsensational, and fine presentation of human suffering and the consequences of delayed justice. Written as a personal narrative of people affected by this incident, it is also a meditative take on the meaning of justice for the families of this fire’s victims.

From co-creators Prashant Nair and Kevin Luperchio, the series captures the shocking tragedy that could have been prevented if basic safety rules were followed. 

The circumstances of this fire were poignant - in a cinema hall named Uphaar where people come to live a few hours of suspended reality and enjoy a highly anticipated patriotic war film Border, that was all about celebrating national pride. Yet, the institutions that make this nation failed these victims. Doors of the balcony section of this movie theatre were locked from the outside to prevent freeloaders from entering; fire brigades were called in 50 minutes after the fire broke out because the theatre manager was collecting the day’s earnings for safekeeping; and when fire brigades did arrive, the water tanks weren’t full and had to operate with faulty equipment. A faulty electrical transformer triggered this massive fire, causing an inferno to break through the flammable hell of a movie theatre (carpets, faux leather and wood seats and film stock). 

On the morning of this housefull movie show, Delhi Vidyut Board had sent in an electrician to do makeshift repairs of this transformer; and the theatre’s owners, the landed moguls Ansals (Sushil and Gopal Ansal, specifically), had broken all fire safety rules by building additional structures in their building to maximise profit. 

At the centre of this story is Neelam, whose single-minded determination to break through privilege, power, and corruption to bring justice, led her husband, Shekhar, to form an association of victims’ families and fight as a collective. Leaving behind the white noise of media coverage or public opinion, their story is presented from a personal point of view, where normal life is suspended to simply fight an underdog’s battle in the courts. 

That wealth and power insulate people in India from facing justice is evident in the visual treatment of the Ansals. They appear in larger-than-life contexts, with employees either fawning over them, or as distant visual images in the far background, highlighting just how unreachable they were. How ironic that while Delhi Vidyut Board paid compensation without a complaint in 2003, the Ansals fought to save themselves money by trying every trick in a lawyer’s book to cut down on their share. 

The stories of victims also underline hard facts. The fire killed and devastated everyone, melting class divide, age or gender. For instance, there is a moving episode titled Heroes featuring Anupam Kher and Ratna Pathak Shah, with a traumatic ending. In the same vein, there are the experiences of the immediate aftermath of death in an old watchman’s story. He loses his entire family in this tragedy. For the poor, the dead have to struggle for space and the dignity of last rites. 

Underlining the role of muscle power in the national capital, Trial by Fire features a well-written, layered character - the shadowy dry fruits dealer and fixer, Neeraj Suri (Ashish Vidyarthi), whose guilt at his ways to pursue wealth keep emerging while he conducts his nasty business with victims’ families. But his rapid rise in financial status and social aspirations don’t mean acceptance amongst the city’s well-heeled elite. 

The most nuanced writing is that of Neelam Krishnamoorthy’s character, whose days are spent aiding a red tape-laced, tiresome legal battle for over 20 years. She ages through the series visibly, making this fight her way to deal with unimaginable loss. 

Rajshri Deshpande as Neelam Krishnamoorthy is heartbreakingly brilliant. Abhay Deol as Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, in his body language and brooding silences, and Rajesh Tailang as Veer Singh, the electricity board employee who becomes a scapegoat, tackle the complex parts of non-dominating men with sensitivity. Ashish Vidyarthi as Neeraj Suri is remarkably convincing. Each character has limited choice in forming their lives; and each actor has delivered on the emotional undercurrents effectively. 

This battle for justice never concluded on a winning note for its victims as the Ansals got off with a six-month jail term and reduced compensations. But the process of dealing with grief for victims’ families is realistic and also inspiring in their small, significant victories. 

Trial By Fire is a slice of reality recreated for the viewer to think about the limits of judicial justice. And it’s a riveting, masterful ode to human suffering through the journey of a regular Indian couple. For anyone who cares for content that has greater meaning, this series is an absolute must-watch. 

Rating: 4.5/5