Overview
A gripping tale of resilience and justice in the face of oppression.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- sincere
- humanistic
- social justice film night
- serious viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a brave, humane, and unflinching account of Shahid Azmi, especially Rajkummar Rao’s performance and Hansal Mehta’s directorial restraint.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film follows Shahid Azmi from radicalization and imprisonment to his work as a criminal lawyer and human rights advocate.
Shahid moves from attempting to become a terrorist and suffering wrongful imprisonment to defending others through law.
The story foregrounds draconian anti-terrorism laws, wrongful incarceration, prosecution, and unequal access to justice.
Shahid’s career unfolds amid rising communal violence and prejudice against impoverished Indian Muslims.
Films like Shahid, and why
Court
humanistic biographical drama centered on a lawyer confronting institutional injustice and communal prejudice
Article 15
gritty Indian social drama combining legal conflict, marginalized communities, and an unflinching critique of institutions
A Few Good Men
serious courtroom drama about human rights, prejudice, and the moral costs of pursuing justice
Movie Details
- Director
- Hansal Mehta
- Release Date
- 2013-10-18
- Runtime
- 129 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (77)
Cast
- Rajkummar Rao
- Kay Kay Menon
- Tigmanshu Dhulia
- Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub
- Vipin Sharma
- Prabhleen Sandhu
- Baljinder Kaur
- Prabal Panjabi
Common questions
- What is Shahid about?
- A poor Muslim lawyer transforms personal persecution into a determined campaign for justice amid India’s communal and legal violence.
- What is Shahid like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Shahid as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Shahid violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Shahid as moderate.
- What did critics think of Shahid?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a brave, humane, and unflinching account of Shahid Azmi, especially Rajkummar Rao’s performance and Hansal Mehta’s directorial restraint.
- Which films are like Shahid?
- Films with a similar feel include Court, Article 15, and A Few Good Men.
- How long is Shahid?
- Shahid runs 129 minutes.
