Series on 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire to arrive on Netflix in January

Mumbai: "Trial by Fire", a limited series based on the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire which had claimed 59 lives, will start streaming on Netflix from January 13.

Inspired by the bestseller book "Trial by Fire: The Tragic Tale of the Uphaar Fire Tragedy" by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, the upcoming show is directed and showrun by Prashant Nair.

Rajshri Deshpande and Abhay Deol play the roles of Neelam and Shekhar, the couple who lost their two children to the tragedy and fought a long legal battle for justice.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Nair said the Krishnamoorthys are inspiring examples of the kind of resilience and fortitude it takes to move the needle even slightly in this country.

"What happened to them and the way they have been forced to fight for justice is truly horrific and, unfortunately, there are countless other people today in similar situations. We are grateful to Netflix for being such courageous partners in telling this story," the director added.

The fateful evening of June 13, 1997 saw the loss of 59 victims and 100 injured film-goers as a fire took over the Uphaar Cinema in South Delhi.

"'Trial By Fire' will depict their endless trials and tribulations in the pursuit of justice over twenty four years while also looking at the other lives touched and destroyed by the fire," read the official synopsis of the series.

Produced by Endemol Shine India and House of Talkies, the show also stars Rajesh Tailang, Ashish Vidyarthi, Anupam Kher, Ratna Pathak, Shilpa Shukla and Shardul Bharadwaj.