Trial by Fire trailer: Abhay Deol and Rajshri Deshpande go through mourning following the fire at the Uphaar cinema

The Trial by Fire trailer is now available. Ahead of its January 13 premiere, Netflix has released a trailer for the limited series directed by Abhay Deol, which traces the aftermath of the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy that left 59 people dead. The non-linear dramatization delves into the 24-year trial for civil compensation for affected families, as documented in the bestselling book, “Trial by Fire: The Tragic Tale of the Uphaar Fire Tragedy”, written by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy , who lost their children in the heartbreaking incident.

The Trial by Fire trailer opens by highlighting the excitement with which the children of Krishnamoorthy left to watch the 3 p.m. screening of Border, hoping to return at 6:30 p.m. in the evening. “A few more years and then they’ll be gone,” Shekhar (Deol) told his wife Neelam (Rajshri Deshpande), unaware that this would be the last time they would see the children. It’s interesting and somewhat poetic to watch Deol take on this role, given that his cousin, Sunny Deol, directed the aforementioned film, which, at this point, spells tragedy for some people. The Trial by Fire trailer then cuts to show an explosion at the Uphaar Cinema, with families pushing bystanders to drag survivors out.

“The doors were locked from the outside!” Shekhar cries in agony, as a few police officers attack him, presumably to stop him creating a bigger commotion. The Trial by Fire trailer focuses on the aftermath of the incident, with concerned parents wanting some sort of response from the authorities. “There is no shortage of culprits in the fire at the Uphaar cinema, but my clients are not among them,” said an anonymous lawyer who is presenting his case in court, much to the dismay of affected families, including the Krishnamoorthys. “They’ll get away with it. Nobody wants to listen,” says Neelam, who strongly believes the theater owners should be held accountable. And this forms the crux of the story, reflecting real life in how the Krishnamoorthys, alongside other heartbroken families, formed the Association of Victims of Uphaar Fires Tragedy (AVUT) to civil compensation.

“They think they can push us around and there’s nothing we can do about it. That we are too small to matter. But they don’t know that when we come together, we give each other strength,” Shekhar says in a voiceover, now preparing for what will become a 24-year trial and co-writing the book that documents it all. The Trial by Fire trailer also features glimpses of a chase sequence, likely involving the theater owners, the Ansal brothers, who evaded arrest for several days. The limited series also stars Rajesh Tailang (Delhi Crime), Ashish Vidyarthi (Rudra: The Edge of Darkness), Anupam Kher (The Accidental Prime Minister), Ratna Pathak Shah (Thappad), Shilpa Shukla (Chak De! India) and Shardul Bharadwaj in undisclosed roles. Prashant Nair (Umrika) co-directs the series with Randeep Jha – the former also serves as showrunner.

All episodes of Trial by Fire will be released January 13 on Netflix.