It’s in the last (seventh) episode the harrowing moments of the Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy come alive to us. I was deeply hit by the scene. The shots consumed the chaos and shock of people choked in a dark, locked theatre while a houseful Border was playing. A sudden scene shift from reel to real ended in killing more than 50 people.

Trial by Fire on Netflix is receiving positive nods from the audience and critics for its realistic portrayal of real-life couple Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy who lost their children, Unnati and Ujjwal in the Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy. The couple spent their entire youth fighting for justice. It was devastating to read a card - the Ansal brothers who owned Uphaar (the property industrialists ruled Delhi then) got punishment after 25 years of long legal battle but came out in another six months!

Neelam is the driving force of Trial by Fire. Her burning pain and resolve pierce our hearts. It’s clear she stopped living from the day (June 13, 1997) her children waved hands and went for a matinee. Fighting against a corrupted system that protects the rich and powerful, she spent her entire life in court. Anybody in her place would have stopped it at some point accepting the failure. Shekhar who stood by her in the long battle turns weak at times, but Neelam never deviates from her quest for justice. We see her getting aged through the years and turning into a respectable figure in and out of court.

The series is based on the couple’s book Trial by Fire: The Tragic Tale of the Uphaar Fire Tragedy and the creators focus on the internal journey of the couple and the real life of scapegoats in the event. Not dramatizing the obstacles and using dark tones to reflect wounded hearts, TBF could transcend the actual pain of all victims part of The Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT).

As Neelam, Rajshri Deshpande’s performance is incredibly real and touching. Abhay Deol appears as Shekhar was equally supportive.