Journalism of Courage
Marathi film Pudhchi Tareekh will portray the life of Ajmal Kasab’s public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam’s life through his landmark cases
Courtroom dramas have been squeezed dry by Bollywood for years. Now a Marathi film is sourcing its inspiration from some landmark cases that have,in the past,dominated headlines and inspired heated debates. Pudhchi Tareekh (Next Date) will portray the emotional tussle between the professional and personal lives of public prosecutors. And at the centre of this drama will be Ujjwal Nikam,the much-in-news Special Public Prosecutor for Ajmal Kasab,the lone attacker captured alive after the 2008 Mumbai attack. There have been many films made which have revolved around court cases and lawyers,but most tend to focus on one case at a time. In Pudhchi Tareekh,we have tried to represent the travails of public prosecutors as a community of lawyers,their struggles and their personal dilemmas. Like,what transpires at the lawyers’ households when a death sentence is passed, reveals Svaddan Angrre,the director of the movie.
An interesting element of this storyline will be the inclusion of situational music in the film. As senior music director Shreerang Aaras admits,it’s going to be a tricky task. Aaras is an old hand at producing music for films and serials,and has had a long association with Balaji Telefilms,including its cult sitcom,Hum Paanch. He is in the process of arranging a final sitting with the scriptwriter to pan out the details of the film score. My experience of handling all sorts of subjects,be it comedy or drama,will help me decide the music for this film. It is important that the score justifies the seriousness and situations of the script, says Aaras.
