Tragedy can strike at any time, but some instances are preventable, and rare is the instance where people do seek justice for it. After all, after losing so much, it would be awful to fight and lose again. But these instances do still exist, and one such incident is the Uphaar cinema fire. Trial by Fire depicts this tragedy, but rather than focusing on the fire itself, it focuses on the fight the victims’ families took in order to seek justice. The show doesn’t play out as a courtroom drama, it takes an intimate look into their day-to-day actions, faithfully portrayed by the excellent Rajshri Deshpande and Abhay Deol. And while the industrial giants depicted tried to file an injunction against this show’s screening, thankfully, Trial by Fire is still able to make its stand. It’s solemn and grim, but it’s a potent reminder of the power we hold as a collective.
"A necessarily sorrowful but forcefully compelling seven-part dramatization of the blaze and its aftermath, which represents one of Netflix India’s strongest miniseries to date."
— Mike McCahill
After the deadly Uphaar cinema fire, two grief-stricken parents navigate the loss of their kids and a dogged fight for justice.
After the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire, Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, seek justice for the loss of their children, no matter how long it takes.
It can be hard to depict real life tragedies because it’s tough to give justice in portraying the unimaginable. A depiction of a disaster can falter in accuracy, or worse, can go into overdone melodrama profiting from the pain of other people. Trial by Fire’s tragedy is the Uphaar cinema fire, which is one of the worst tragedies in recent Indian history. However, the series is less focused on depicting the disaster, and instead more focused on the loved ones that sought justice after the event. The tragedy is a terrible loss, but instead of portraying the cinema in flames, the show instead mainly shows the family, how they were before the fire and the way they tried to deal with their grief. And, being based on the book written by two of the real life people that filed the lawsuit, the pain depicted in the series feels real and urgent because of its restraint. It makes it all the more stirring as a result.
Rajshri Deshpande is phenomenal.
