Shahid ...a shaheed indeed!

The Real People:

Directed by Hansal Mehta

Written by Sameer Gautam Singh, Apurva Asrani & Hansal Mehta

Edited by Apurva Asrani

Music by Karan Kulkarni

Raj Kumar Yadav as Shahid Azmi

Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Arif Azmi

Prabhleen Sandhu as Mariam Azmi

KK Menon as War Saahab

At a Glance:

An important story told very well through some amazing and maybe surprising performances. It moves at a fast pace and yet captures the key milestones in the life of Shahid Azmi effectively. The story's pace is no doubt hampered, now and then, especially in the second half, but the talented Raj Kumar keeps you engaged throughout. The court scenes are riveting and very realistic, unlike what we are used to by indian movie and TV standards! 

The People of screen:

Many characters but one central character....similarly, many great performances but one phenomenal actor! 

Raj Kumar Yadav as Shahid Azmi. What an actor! After having proved his worth in the brilliant Kai Po Che earlier this year, Raj Kumar takes on the challenging role of the title character here. From the early days to the finale, Raj Kumar portraits the various changes and conflicts that Shahid went through. Facial expressions, body language, dialogue delivery, everything is perfect and brought out in front of the camera with full conviction.
Mohammed Zeeshan as Arif Azmi. Not sure if I have seen him in any Anurag Kashyap movie earlier, but he sure does not seem like a newcomer. Meatier role in the first half and a few scenes in the second, this actor surely knows how to express emotions through his acting. Great job done!

Prabhleen Sadhu as Maryam. Another actor who may not have done many or any movies in the past, but gives a very good performance. Not the conventional glamorous heroine, but in fact a very real and undoubtedly convincing Mrs. Azmi, Prabhleen gets into the skin of the character and gives only her best in every frame that she is in.

KK Menon as Waar Saahab. What can anyone say about the immense talent this guy possesses! It is a pleasure watching him deliver dialogues. A very short and indeed a special appearance, and yet...important enough to be mentioned as part of this review!

The Experience:

Perhaps not a movie that requires you to be in the movie theater to enjoy, but definitely a movie that you should want to see without any delay (and therefore going to the theater would be a good idea). The pace of the movie is brisk and the writers don't spend too much time on any specific incident. The movie is firmly carried and must be credited to Raj Kumar's brilliant performance and is very convincingly supported by the remaining cast. There are emotional moments beautifully captured and there are brutal incidents that make you feel sympathetic. While the movie does anger you towards the actions of the lawmakers (not only in India, but also the general stereotyping that happens across the world today), it solemnly tries to depict the dilemmas of the judicial system as well. In the end, the movie is a biopic of a man who was a hero for many and whose story required to be told to the world...and Hansal Mehta does an amazing job at doing just that! The opening and closing lines resonate in your mind long after the movie is over, "By giving me injustice, my God taught me to love Justice".

Been-O-pinion:

I rate it 4 out of 5. Despite its faltered pace at times and some gaps and questions that it leaves unanswered, this movie is very well made. It should reinstate our faith in bollywood filmmakers and in our society - There are still some people who insist on swimming against the tide...and end up in places where no one has before.