A wonderfully directed biopic, Shahid talks about the life of lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi who was slain by anti social elements in 2010. Shahid Azmi was a man who from first hand experiences learnt the inhumane manner in which the Mumbai Police targets the weak and the poor. Through the film, director Hansal Mehta found a felicitous balance between Azmi’s sullen past and the resurgence of his character that enabled him to fight against a system that preys on the defenseless.

Overall performance of Rajkumar Yadav as Shahid Azmi is good though he seems to lack the depth of the character at certain points. The supporting characters gave a middling performance. Kay Kay Menon makes a cameo appearance where he plays the character of War saab, Azmi’s mentor in prison.

The most exciting aspect of the film is the story which is amplified by the fact that this is someone’s real life story. This film sheds light on the flawed social construct of our society and the lack of morals and justice. The story revolves around Shahid Azmi’s personal conflicts and the brevity he exuded by ignoring threats to his well being. It also addresses the various shortcomings of our society which causes individuals spurned by society seeking justice who end up being manipulated by self declared anarchists, who use them as pawns in the larger schemes.

Despite bad lighting in some scenes, the editing makes it all seem fluid and the score is audibly engaging.
The arrival of producers like Anurag Kashyap enables us to enjoy a more obtuse cinema that explores more of real life than reel life.