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After 13 Years, Rajkummar Rao's Shahid Finally Streams on OTT
Shahid is a film about a lawyer named Shahid Azmi.
He defended people accused under terrorism laws.
The film was released in cinemas in 2013.
It took 13 years for the movie to appear on a streaming service.
It is now available on Prime Video.
Writer-editor Apurva M. Asrani asked why the film had to wait so long.
He said the movie was made during a time when people who challenged the government or defended accused people faced suspicion.
The film won major National Film Awards for Rajkummar Rao and Hansal Mehta.
Shahid, released theatrically in 2013, is now streaming on Prime Video.
Writer-editor Apurva M. Asrani questioned why the film took 13 years to find an OTT platform.
The film portrays lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi defending people accused under terror laws.
Asrani linked the delay to a political climate he said increasingly viewed dissenters and rights defenders with suspicion.
Rajkummar Rao won Best Actor and Hansal Mehta won Best Director at the 61st National Film Awards.
- Who
- Writer-editor Apurva M. Asrani, actor Rajkummar Rao, director Hansal Mehta and lawyer Shahid Azmi are central to the report.
- What
- The 2013 film Shahid has begun streaming on Prime Video after a 13-year wait, prompting questions from Asrani about the delay.
- Where
- The film is streaming on Prime Video.
- When
- Shahid was released in 2013 and began streaming in 2026; Asrani raised his questions on September 28, 2026.
- Why
- Asrani questioned whether the delay reflected a political climate hostile to dissent, activists, journalists and people defending the rights of accused individuals.
Key facts
- Film
- Shahid
- Theatrical release
- 2013
- Streaming platform
- Prime Video
- Streaming delay
- 13 years
- Subject
- Lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi
- Best Actor
- Rajkummar Rao
- Best Director
- Hansal Mehta
- National Film Awards edition
- 61st
Quotes
Apurva M Asrani
Writer-editor and co-writer of Shahid
“Many of us — filmmakers, actors, and writers drawn to courageous stories like Shahid — either struggled to get such ideas made or were co-opted by the system into telling ‘kosher’ stories that won National Awards thanks to their political conformity and despite their mediocrity”
indianexpress.com
“So, why now? Why does a film like Shahid finally find a streaming platform in 2026? Has the mood changed? Is there growing resistance to the politics of fear?”
freepressjournal.in
indianexpress.com
Sources
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