Ujjwal Nikam says he wanted to slap actor playing Kasab in 26/11 film Prahaar
The public prosecutor said the actor Lalit Prabhakar's portrayal of Ajmal Kasab was so convincing that a scene made him want to walk up and slap him.
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Prahaar, a film on the 26/11 attack, has recently been released in theatres and is widely discussed. Rajkummar Rao plays public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in the film. The most difficult role, that of Ajmal Kasab, is played by Marathi actor Lalit Prabhakar.
Lalit has made Kasab so real that viewers get goosebumps. The question was what Nikam himself thought of the role. He spoke about it in an interview that is now going viral.
Nikam said plainly, "Sorry, but I did not know Lalit Prabhakar earlier. I had not seen his earlier work." But when he saw Lalit as Kasab, he was taken aback. According to him, "Nobody has seen Kasab from as close as I have. I saw him in court every day. I have watched his walk, his speech, his laughter from close quarters. So I understood immediately how Lalit has played Kasab. He has done it exactly to the life."
Nikam also praised one particular quality of Lalit's. He said, "Marathi boys often have trouble speaking Hindi. But Lalit has recreated Kasab's grave voice, that cunning look, that cruelty, everything just as it was. His laughter seems exactly like Kasab's."
Recounting an anecdote, Nikam said, "He is from our own region. I am from Jalgaon and he is from Dhule, a boy from Khandesh. So I am proud of him. I am not praising him to his face just like that, I am telling what is true." Describing a scene from the film, Nikam became emotional.
He said, "There is a scene in the film where he fires at a little girl and her mother. While watching that scene I truly felt like getting up, going and slapping Lalit. I got that angry. And that is the real certificate for his work." Nikam added, "If you get angry at an actor after watching his acting, if you get furious, understand that he has done his job 100 per cent."
Lalit Prabhakar has earlier worked in films such as Jugaad and Medium Spicy, but this is the first time he has played a negative role like Kasab. He worked hard for it. He watched videos of Kasab and learnt his way of speaking.
Because of Prahaar, Lalit is now talked about not only in Marathi but also in Hindi. For him, praise from a figure as big as Ujjwal Nikam is a very big thing. Many viewers are saying that they cannot forget that black day of 26/11, and that this film makes those wounds fresh again.
