Is Trial by Fire Based on a True Story? Trial By Fire, a new Netflix series, debuted today. The series, which stars Abhay Deol and Rajshri Deshpande as the key characters, serves as a reminder to viewers of the national tragedy that occurred in 1997.
The series, which is being directed by Prashant Nair, will depict the Uphaar Cinema Tragedy in detail and show how the relatives of those who perished in the fire fought for justice for a very long period.
Among the notable actors who appear in it are Rajshri Deshpande, Abhay Deol, Ashish Vidyarthi, Rajesh Tailang, Ratna Pathak, Anupam Kher, Shardul Bharadwaj, and Shilpa Shukla. It is produced by Endemol Shine India and House of Talkies.
Is Trial by Fire Based on a True Story?
The movie’s trailer gave potential viewers an idea of what to expect when they actually saw the movie. The terrible deaths of several persons at the Uphaar Cinema in Delhi in 1997 were also brought to the Indian audience’s attention. Like today, on June 13, 1997, the movie Border was playing in theaters on a Friday.
Two of the Uphaar Cinema’s electrical transformers blew up early on the morning of the disaster after a fire started in the nearby Green Park neighborhood of Delhi. The on-duty security guard alerted the Delhi Vidyut Board and the fire department (DVB). The DVB officials attempted to address the problem that started the fire after the fire was quickly brought under control.
Must read our previous articles on other series:
- New Barbie Trailer is Out and Its All Pink and Sparkle
- The White Lotus season 3: Release Date Speculation, Cast, Trailer
By 11 a.m. that morning, they had restored the building’s electric supply, however, it is said that their work was subpar and only partially solved the problem. At 3 pm, the theater began showing the movie Border. At around 5 pm, oil from leaking transformers spread over the area (which was close to a parking lot), setting nearby cars on fire until a massive fire broke out inside the theater itself.
The DVB was notified of the problem after the smoke spread over the entire building, and the energy supply was cut off, which immediately brought an end to the screening. The cinema hall was now closed from the outside and carbon monoxide was creeping in through the ventilators.
Due to the power outage, the ensuing chaos inside the theater, and the lack of crisis management, about 60 people perished from asphyxiation and over a hundred were hurt in the stampede. The Association of Victims of Uphaar Fire Tragedy (AVUT) was established by the families of the victims, who later joined forces to fight for justice for the deaths of their loved ones.
They brought one of India’s landmark civil compensation cases, winning compensation of 25 crore rupees, although the sum was later reduced by a Supreme Court ruling. The Ansal Brothers, who owned the movie theater, ultimately received light penalties.
Trial by Fire Release Date
Friday, January 13, 2023, saw the release of Trial By Fire on Netflix. The series, which stars Abhay Deol and Rajshri Deshpande, chronicles the tragic journey of two parents named Shekhar and Neelam after losing their two children in a terrible fire. Their search for answers and for justice for the deaths of their children, Unnati and Ujjawal, is fueled by unfathomable grief.
What is the Series Trial by Fire on Netflix About?
The Netflix series in Hindi tells the terrible tale of parents Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy and their fight for justice following the deaths of their two children in a movie theater fire. The couple is still seeking justice twenty years after the fire, and this program examines the terrible effects that followed the fire.
The Aftermath of the Fire
In the wake of the tragedy, the families of the victims established The Association of Victims of Uphaar Fire Tragedy, which brought a historic civil compensation claim against the brothers Gopal and Sushil Ansal, the cinema’s proprietors. The brothers received a number of penalties of varied severity during the protracted and intricate legal proceedings that followed.
What is justice in a broken system? In select theaters May 17. #TrialByFireFilm pic.twitter.com/2pB7za8Vra
— Trial By Fire (@TBFfilm) April 5, 2019
18 years after the tragedy, in August 2015, the Deccan Herald reported that the Supreme Court of India has condemned the cinema’s owners to two years in prison if they failed to give the families of the victims Rs. 60 crores (about $8.3 million USD) in compensation.
According to the Indian Express, Gopal Ansal received a one-year prison sentence in February 2017, while Sushil did not receive a further punishment because of his advanced age. However, according to Fiction Horizon, the Delhi courts ultimately sentenced both brothers to seven years in prison in 2021 for tampering with relevant evidence.
Is the Series Trial by Fire Based on a Book?
Yes, Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost their two children in the fire and launched a battle for the victims’ rights, wrote a book.
Trial by Fire Trailer
You can watch the trailer below:
Final Words
The film, based on a true story, is about the ‘epic quest’ that the father-son set out for in search of their pet dog. Check out our Leedaily.com for more information about what’s on this week.
