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Film on life of prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam to release in Sept

A 150-minute feature film is being made on the life of high-profile public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam with a focus on his professional skills and legal acumen.

Mumbai: A 150-minute feature film is being made on the life of high-profile public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam with a focus on his professional skills and legal acumen.
The film would be made in Marathi and also dubbed in Hindi and Telegu. Titled `Adesh--Power of Law`, the film is currently being shot at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad and would be released in September 2013, according to Suvahhdan Angre, who plays the lead role and is also the director and producer of the film. The movie revolves around four cases in Maharashtra in which Nikam had appeared on behalf of the state as the public prosecutor, Angre said. These cases pertain to Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab who was hanged to death; the killings of Dalits in Khairlanji; the infamous Kothewadi gang-rape case and murders of children (bal hatyakand) in Miraj. Besides, there is also a focus on actor Sanjay Dutt and Abu Salem who were tried in the 1993 bomb blast case. Nikam was the special public prosecutor in this trial which went on uninterruptedly for 14 years. "The message given by this film is that law ultimately catches up with the perpetrator of the crime and although a person may be highly placed in the society, he is not above the law," says 33-year-old Angre. The film has been shot in Hyderabad, Satara district and Paud village in Pune. Before making the film, Angre said, he did research for 12 to 18 months studying about Nikam, the legal system and the cases which are being highlighted in the movie. The shooting commenced last September and the film is now 80 per cent complete, said Angre who has assisted in directing 14 films including `Tare Zameen Par`, `Mangal Pandey- the Rising`, `The Myth` and `Tathasthu`. "It is a learning process for me", says Angre, who also has a theatre background and performed in over 25 plays since his college days. Asked why he chose to make a film on Nikam, Angre said that he was inspired by his courageous approach towards life. "He (Nikam) is a very powerful character and fighting for the country silently without a gun," Angre said. Many films have been made on the lives of policemen, dacoits, goons and professionals. But this would be the first film on a lawyer`s career, he added. "Of course, `Jolly LLB`, `Meri Jung`, `Damini` were also about the lawyers and the legal system, but they focused only on one case," he said. "The film that I am making on Nikam would be more broad-based and focus on four important cases which the prosecutor handled during his career," Angre added. The filmmaker said he had taken liberty in the vocabulary to portray Nikam`s character so that it should appeal to the masses, but the focal point in the film has been on his art of advocacy and the powerful legal system. Angre further said that Mithila Naik, a television anchor in a local Goa channel, has played the role of Nikam`s wife in the film, which is being made on a small budget of Rs 70 lakh under the banner `Deepsea Movies`. The film also has songs, but they go with the flow of the story, Angre said adding that he had obtained permission from Nikam to make the movie on his life. "Initially, Nikam was not very comfortable and hesitant to give permission, because of the sensitive cases he has been handling. But I convinced him that our attempt is to educate and inform the people about the legal system and the role of a public prosecutor. After much persuasion he agreed," Angre said. PTI