The term Shahid in
Urdu/Hindi means martyr. The name of the protagonist in this film is Shahid. It
serves both metaphorical and actual purposes, for the protagonist indeed
becomes a martyr at the end of the film.
Director: Hansal Mehta
Film Clip
The film is a real life
account of Shahid Azmi who became a lawyer and fought many cases of those who
were languishing in jails being wrongly implicated. However, it is this very
mission of his that alienates him from his close ones, and finally brings his
end.
The film is a realistic
depiction of the current Indian criminal proceedings and shows, without
resorting to melodrama, how at times the present system can make criminal out
of innocents. The personal experience that the protagonist goes through in his own
life drives him to take causes of innocent victims who for no fault of theirs
fell on the wrong side of the law.
Rajkumar as Shahid has
added life to the real life character. No wonder he won the national award for
best actor. Even as the film deals with the Indian archaic legal system, it
raises questions if our system is all that bad or if there is the dearth of
real commitment on the part of lawyers to fight for justice. The film stands
out as an off-beat film in the ocean of Bollywood’s masala films.
- Melwyn Pinto SJ
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