Oct 20, 2013 09:43 AM
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It’s very rare that a newspaper article remains etched in one’s mind for years. But that’s what happened with me when I read about the assassination of lawyer Shahid Azmi in Feb 2010 and few days later, about his life and times. Here was a man who selflessly defended the wrongly accused and was generous enough to even waive off his fees for cause of the poor. And he was killed.
We don’t come across such great men every now and then. No wonder this was a sensitive story but a story waiting to be told. Hansal Mehta took the challenge and thankfully, treated it beautifully. In other words, Shahid is a must watch film that should not be missed!
The story of the movie: Shahid Azmi(Raj Kumar Yadav) attends a terrorist camp and is almost about to get brainwashed. But he soon gets disillusioned and returns to his home in Mumbai. Few days later, he is arrested on false charges and deployed to Tihar Jail, Delhi. Instead of wasting time or harboring thoughts of revenge against the state, Shahid decided to study further and acquire a law degree. Once released, Shahid starts his own practice and soon starts defending poor Muslim youths who are falsely arrested by the police on false charges, just the way he was thrown in jail. Unfortunately, while doing so, Shahid also faces his share of problems.
To be honest, Shahid has a somewhat shaky start but soon, one gets a hang of things. The prison scenes raise interest levels and even the ones after that keep viewers glued. But till the intermission point, the film seemed decent but nothing great. However, things take a turn for the better and how! The second half is gripping and immensely impactful. This is the juncture where audiences develop a deep association with Shahid and hence, one can’t help but hoot and support him in his every endeavor. The courtroom drama sequences are very much real but at the same time, dramatic enough. The climax is deeply moving and for the first time after many years did I feel so terrible because of a character’s death. At the same time, one feels extremely angry towards the apathetic police, judiciary and the entire system. Will this ever end, is a question that the makers subtly ask in the end. But very sadly, an affirmative answer is nowhere to be seen.
Without a shred of doubt, Raj Kumar Yadav delivers his best performance till date with Shahid. The actor gets into the skin of his character effortlessly and the manner in which he showcases his triumph, helplessness, affection and care in a subtle manner is seen to be believed. Often actors, after delivering outstanding performances, find it difficult to choose scripts which can help them match or surpass their previous performance. Raj Kumar is surely going to face tough time from here-on hence! Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub(as Arif Azmi) is very adorable and plays his part with perfection. One’s heart goes out to the real Arif Azmi after watching Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub’s heartfelt performance. Prabhleen Sandhu(Mariyam) looks sweet and delivers a fine performance. Vipin Sharma(public prosecutor More) is outstanding and leaves a huge mark in a brief role.
Another such performance in the film is that of Shalini Vatsa(prosecutor in Faheem Khan case). Kay Kay Menon(Ghulam Nabi War) as always gives a stupendous performance. Tigmanshu Dhulia(Maqbool Menon) is a gem when it comes to acting! Yusuf Hussain(Dr Saxena; Kay Kay’s colleague) does fine and good to see the actor attempting something different. Mukesh Chhabra(Nooruddin who claims to have seen Faheem in Nepal) is too good and this casting director should consider acting often! Pawan Singh(Zaheer Sheikh) and Vivek Ghamande(Faheem Khan) play their parts well. In fact, these actors look very much ‘evil’ in a way and hence their characters are rightfully shown as very much prone to be dubbed as terrorists by ignorant media and public. Hence, these actors help bust the myths that ‘don’t judge the book by its cover’. Great going!Baljinder Kaur(Shahid’s mother) and others too do a good job.
Karan Kulkarni’s music is subtle and the only song of the movie is neatly incorporated in the film. Anuj Dhawan’s cinematography is raw, little shaky but it works well in the context of the film. Apurva Asrani’s editing is razor sharp. Sets are straight out of life(some scenes were shot in actual locations). Sameer Gautam Singh’s story is riveting and the writer carefully chooses some of the key cases of Shahid’s life for cinematic adaptation. At the same time, the fictionalized elements are neatly incorporated in the film as well. Dialogues are sharp and witty.
Screenplay in the first half is not that exciting but gets better as the courtroom drama builds up. Same goes for Hansal Mehta’s direction. The most important factor for any film is that one should empathize with the characters. And in this regard, Shahid is a clear winner. Also, the goings-on in the film are highly relatable which was an added advantage and Mehta’s riveting direction makes it even better. Hats off and hope the director makes more such meaningful films in future!
Some of the best scenes:
Shahid Azmi in Tihar jail.
Shahid Azmi released from jail.
Shahid at Maqbool Menon’s office.
Shahid hints to Mariyam about his feelings.
Shahid breaks news of his marriage to his family.
Shahid defending Zaheer.
Shahid defending Faheem.
The final scene.
On the whole, Shahid is a hard-hitting drama that deserves to be seen by one and all. It’s a rare film where one gets deeply attached to the principle protagonist and feels terrible at the state of our country, as showcased in the film. Few scenes are brilliantly executed and continue to linger in one’s mind long after film is finished. In short, this is a film one must catch without fail!
Unfortunately, such films are often not seen in theaters. Many such viewers, surprisingly, are found complaining about how some pathetic films become hits while good ones flop miserably! If you are one of those, then you are free to ignore this film in theaters for whatever reasons, but at the same time, you lose all the right to complain and whine later on. The choice is yours!
