Rajkummar Rao’s Shahid is FINALLY streaming after 13 years; writer-editor Apurva Asrani asks “Why now?”
Here's the latest on what's streaming and coming up:
Rolled out in 2013, Shahid is based on the life of lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi, who was assassinated in Mumbai in 2010. Rajkummar Rao plays the titular character, with Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Prabhleen Sandhu and Baljinder Kaur in supporting roles.
Adding to this, The movie collected major recognition at the 61st National Movie Awards. Hansal Mehta won Best Director, while Rajkummar Rao shared the Best Star award with Malayalam star Suraj Venjaramoodu. The official National Movie Awards citation described Shahid as a movie tracing the true story of a slain human rights activist and lawyer against the backdrop of communal violence in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Following the movie’s arrival on Prime Video, writer-editor Apurva M Asrani reflected on its journey in a lengthy post on X. He questioned why a movie that had received such critical and institutional recognition took so long to find a streaming platform.
Notably, He tweeted, “The National Award-winning #Shahid is finally streaming on Prime Video. It took 13 years for our movie to find a streaming home. Shahid tells the story of Shahid Azmi, a lawyer who defended people accused under terror laws and fought for due process in a climate where Muslims were often presumed guilty before being proven innocent. He was murdered for that courage.”
As per the latest buzz, Asrani then raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the movie’s long absence from streaming platforms: “I’ve often wondered why Shahid remained without a streaming platform for so long. It was rolled out a year before 2014. Then came a political climate in which dissenters, activists, journalists and those defending the rights of the accused increasingly found themselves under suspicion. In that same period, people like Umar Khalid have spent years in prison awaiting trial.”
In further updates, Asrani also reflected on what he described as the difficulties faced by filmmakers, writers and actors interested in telling stories that challenge established narratives. According to him, several people drawn to similar subjects either struggled to get their projects made or were “co-opted by the system” into telling what he called “kosher” stories that received National Awards because of their political conformity and despite their mediocrity.
On top of that, With Shahid finally available to stream in 2026, Asrani questioned what may have changed since the movie’s theatrical rollout. He wrote, “So why now? Why does a movie like Shahid finally find a streaming platform in 2026? Has the mood changed? Is there growing resistance to the politics of fear? Whatever the reason, I’m proud of this movie. It established me as a co-writer/editor and brought me back to the kind of cinema I believe in. Watch it if you haven’t. Watch it again if you have. This movie, made by a wonderful team, is a reminder of the kind of courageous cinema we used to make and celebrate. Thankyou @PrimeVideoIN.”
The National Award winning #Shahid is finally streaming on Prime Video. It took 13 years for our movie to find a streaming home.
Source: Bollywood Hungama