2013 · Film
Shahid
Hansal Mehta's biographical drama about Shahid Azmi, a Mumbai lawyer who defended Muslims accused in terror cases, with Rajkummar Rao in the title role.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Shahid is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
With subscription
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
As a teenager, Shahid Azmi sees his Mumbai neighbourhood torn apart by the 1992-93 riots. He drifts to a militant camp in Kashmir, turns away from it and comes home, only to be arrested under the anti-terror law TADA and sent to Tihar Jail. Inside, a fellow prisoner encourages him to study. Back in Mumbai, with his brother Arif's support, Shahid earns a law degree and opens his own practice, taking up the cases of poor Muslim men he believes have been wrongly accused of terrorism.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A compact, two-hour true story for adults interested in law, civil rights and recent Mumbai history. It carries an A certificate and includes scenes of police torture, riots and violence.
thought-provokingemotionaldark
Genres:True storiesDrama
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Shahid is based on the life of Shahid Azmi, a lawyer and human rights activist who was shot dead in his Mumbai office in February 2010 at the age of 32, while defending an accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case. Hansal Mehta began researching the film about three months after Azmi's death, and Sameer Gautam Singh wrote the script after interviewing his family. Anurag Kashyap and Sunil Bohra produced it with UTV Spotboy.
The film premiered in the City to City programme at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2012 and won the Silver Gateway Trophy at the Mumbai Film Festival. It opened in Indian cinemas on 18 October 2013. At the 61st National Film Awards, Rajkummar Rao won Best Actor and Mehta won Best Director, and Rao also won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. Bollywood Hungama reports a box-office total of about ₹3.7 crore.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Biographical drama, Courtroom drama
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Certificate
- A
- Director
- Hansal Mehta
- Cast
- Rajkummar Rao, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Prabhleen Sandhu, Baljinder Kaur, Tigmanshu Dhulia
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Shahid in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Shahid is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Is Shahid in Hindi?
- Yes. Shahid is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Shahid suitable for children?
- Shahid has a CBFC A certificate, which means it is restricted to adults aged 18 and above.
- How long is Shahid?
- Shahid runs for 2 hours 3 minutes (123 minutes).