Shahid

The film opens with murder of Shahid Azmi (Rajkummar Rao) and goes into flashback to the violence during the Bombay Riots. There Shahid witnesses cold-blooded murders and in anger runs away to Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where he spends a brief period at a militant training camp. He soon returns. In Mumbai, he is arrested under the TADA, for an alleged conspiracy to assassinate some politicians. He is brutally tortured by police and forced to admit the crime, after which he spends seven years at Tihar Jail in New Delhi.

During his stay at Tihar Jail, hes tried to be brainwashed by Omar Sheikh (Prabal Panjabi). But another fellow jail mate War Saab (K K Menon) inspires him to start his college education. Once he is acquitted of the charges, he goes ahead to study law in Mumbai.After receiving his law degree, Shahid works with lawyer Maqbool Memon (Tigmanshu Dhulia) for some months, before starting his career as an independent lawyer with the financial support of his elder brother Arif (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub). During this process he meets Mariam (Prabhleen Sandhu), a Muslim divorcee, and marries her.

Shahid soon starts picking up cases of Muslims charged under the POTA. He fights many cases pro bono in consultation with NGOs. Shahid gets his first major success as a defense lawyer, when Arif Paanwala, who has been arrested under POTA in 2002 Mumbai bus bombing, is acquitted due to lack of evidence.Shahid then represents the accused in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings, the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul, the 2006 Malegaon bombings case. He is criticized for supporting terrorists and starts getting threatening calls that disturb his family life.

On one occasion, Shahids face is blackened by assailants outside the court room. While defending Faheem Ansari in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case, he gets shot by two gunmen in his office and dies on the spot. Later, Ansari is shown to be acquitted of all the charges by the Supreme Court of India due to lack of evidence.In post-credits scene, Shahids journey to the training camp is shown. It is edited out of the final cut to make the story tighter.

Shahid was well received by Indian and international critics.Mohammad Kamran Jawaid, senior film critic for Dawn, gave the film a positive review writing that the two-hour time constraints means theres little room for the traditional expansion we get from biopics, and if at times Shahid feels like an expanded best-of Mr. Azmis life, it's because it is. Jawaid ends by (wondering) if Mr. Mehta would be able to tell Shahid in a better way than what it is right now; it may not be Best Picture worthy but I doubt if many of the films in every years nomination are.

Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 and stated that the film is brutally honest, brave and above all a fascinating humane story. India Today gave 4.5 out of 5 and stated that the director has put in his best and has managed to touch the right chord with the viewer. Bollywoodlife.

com gave 4 out of 5 and stated that Shahid is a must-see film with an absolutely impeccable sub text that can be read as an urgent warning against the politics of isolation practiced by many political parties. Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times gave 3.5 out of 5 stating Shahid is Raj Kumar's triumph. His Shahid has strength, anguish and a controlled anger, but also real charm. His smile lights up the frame.

See Shahid for him.