An early review for Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam is doing the rounds on social media, and the first takeaway is unmistakable: Rajkummar Rao is being called the soul of the film. The legal drama has been one of the most anticipated releases of the year, so early word matters.
What the early review says
A viral tweet has rated the film five stars. The viewer wrote that Wamiqa Gabbi’s performance was “shandar” and said Rajkummar Rao’s acting is “the soul of the movie,” with Jaideep Ahlawat also drawing praise in the same post.
Directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Maddock Films, Prahaar stars Rajkummar Rao, Wamiqa Gabbi, Lalit Prabhakar, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar Kher. It is a biopic of advocate Ujjwal Nikam and focuses on his role in legal battles, especially around the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
A fifth biopic and a reported casting switch
Prahaar is a significant addition to Rajkummar Rao’s filmography. It is his fifth biopic after Shahid, Omerta, Srikanth and Bose: Dead/Alive. Media reports also suggest Aamir Khan was the first choice for the lead before the film went to Rao, which raises the stakes for what he does with the part.
Rao has built a reputation for playing real people in tense, legal and political spaces. The early review suggests Prahaar leans on that same strength: a central performance that carries the film’s emotional weight rather than only its courtroom argument.
How Rajkummar Rao prepared
At India Today Conclave Mumbai 2026, Rao explained that he studied a lot of video material of Nikam, from the 1993 court case to interviews. He said he picked up Nikam’s voice, physicality and mannerisms from those videos.
“I had to gain weight and play a certain age, which was something I had never done before,” he said.
That preparation detail tells you why the early reactions matter. A biopic about a familiar legal figure depends on recognition and behavioural detail, not just resemblance. If early viewers are already singling out the performance, the film is playing to Rao’s proven strength with real-life characters.
What to watch next
A five-star social media post is an early signal, not a critical verdict. For fans, the full release will show whether the buzz sticks. In the meantime, the checklist is simple:
- Watch for the official trailer and release date.
- Look for more reactions beyond a single viral tweet.
- Follow how the makers position the 2008 Mumbai attacks thread.
If the final release matches this early word, Prahaar could become another landmark performance for Rajkummar Rao and a notable addition to Bollywood’s legal-drama slate. The early review has done its job: the conversation has started.
Source: Filmibeat