Ajmal Kasab Claimed He Was 17: How Ujjwal Nikam Challenged His Age Claim

The upcoming Hindi courtroom drama Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam has brought attention back to one of the important legal episodes from the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack trial.

The film stars Rajkummar Rao as Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam and focuses on the legal battle surrounding the prosecution of Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving attacker captured during the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

One of the key moments highlighted in the film’s trailer is Kasab’s claim that he was only 17 years old when he took part in the attacks.

Kasab claimed he was 17

During the early stage of the trial, Kasab’s defence attempted to establish that he was a minor.

If the court had accepted that he was a juvenile, the legal consequences would have been significantly different. The prosecution therefore challenged the claim and sought evidence to establish his actual age.

The issue became an important legal battle in the case.

How was Kasab’s age investigated?

According to archival court reporting cited by India Today, a medical team at Sir JJ Hospital in Mumbai conducted forensic age examinations.

The assessment included bone ossification tests and dental examination.

The medical findings placed Kasab’s age well above 17. India Today reported that the medical evidence indicated that he was at least around 19½ years old at the time of the November 2008 attacks.

The prosecution also relied on other records.

Kasab’s jail admission records reportedly recorded his age as 21. Medical records from Nair Hospital also recorded him as 21, while his judicial confession contained the same age.

This combination of medical evidence, official records and Kasab’s own earlier statements weakened the defence’s claim that he was a minor.

Supreme Court later upheld the medical evidence

The age issue did not end with the trial court.

In its August 2012 judgment confirming Kasab’s death sentence, the Supreme Court accepted the medical evidence establishing that he was an adult. India Today reported that the court upheld the trial court’s reliance on the bone-ossification examination.

Kasab was eventually executed on 21 November 2012 at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune.

How does Prahaar show the episode?

The upcoming film uses this courtroom episode as one of its dramatic elements.

Rajkummar Rao plays Ujjwal Nikam, while Lalit Prabhakar plays Ajmal Kasab. Sikandar Kher plays Kasab’s defence lawyer, and Ashish Vidyarthi appears as the judge. Wamiqa Gabbi and Jaideep Ahlawat are also part of the cast.

The film is directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films. The Central Board of Film Certification lists the film as a Hindi UA 16+ film.

The trailer focuses heavily on the courtroom battle rather than recreating the entire 26/11 attack.

🎥 Rajkummar Rao’s transformation

Rajkummar Rao underwent a physical transformation to portray Ujjwal Nikam.

Reports say he gained around 9–10 kg, adopted a heavier appearance, wore glasses and worked on his Marathi dialogue delivery for the role.

The trailer has particularly drawn attention to his courtroom performance and appearance as Nikam.

When is Prahaar releasing?

There was initially a plan to release the film on August 7, 2026.

However, the release was later postponed.

The makers announced October 16, 2026 as the new theatrical release date.

The film is therefore not an August release anymore.

 Main Points

• Ajmal Kasab claimed he was 17 during the 26/11 trial.
• The prosecution challenged his claim with medical and documentary evidence.
• A medical examination included bone and dental tests.
• Official records reportedly recorded Kasab as 21.
• The Supreme Court later accepted the evidence establishing that Kasab was an adult.
• Rajkummar Rao plays Ujjwal Nikam in Prahaar.
• Lalit Prabhakar plays Ajmal Kasab.
• The film is directed by Avinash Arun.
• The film was postponed from August 7 to October 16, 2026.
• The film focuses on the courtroom and legal battle following the 26/11 attacks.

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