The Expression Hub

Starring: Rajkummar Rao, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Tigmanshu Dhulia, KayKay Menon, Prabhal Punjabi, Prabhleen Sandhu

Directed by: Hansal Mehta

Genre: Biographical/Drama

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is , what are you doing for others?”

Martin Luther King Jr.

It has been 15 years since the terror attacks rocked the city of dreams, Mumbai. 166 people were killed in the what was supposed to be an act of cowardice. But no matter what the city of dreams has endured, it has always stood the test of time and emerged more resilient as time as passed. And that is what is supposed to be the undying spirit of the city. No matter whatever befalls on us we are going to emerge stronger each and every time because of the endless humanity possessed by the people of the city.

Though the terror attacks had shattered the city to the core, but in the line of investigating and bringing justice, it has so happened a lot of times that a lot of innocent people too had been arrested and had false charges pressed against them . These false charges could and have ruined the lives of so many people as the society viewed such people with a suspicious eye . Such people did not get the opportunities which a normal man gets . However, there was one such individual who too after facing a similar situation decided to fight for the rights of such individuals and ensured that such people too had an opportunity to live a dignified life. Since it was the 15th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks and we are celebrating the men who tried creating an impact in the reel or real life; I personally feel this blog post is a great fit which addresses both. This might or might not rattle a few nerves but we need to be courageous to address the thought in the mind. After all we need to be in a place where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.

Story line: Shahid is a story which is based on the life of the lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi who was killed in a cold-blooded manner in 2010. He was supposed to be an ordinary man and maybe would have continued to be so had certain events in his life not taken place. For instance, the riots in the city which took place in the year 1992-93. This incident forced him to join a militant group in order to become a terrorist but after witnessing a cold-blooded execution, he leaves the group and returns to the city.However, this incident leads to his arrest under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities(Prevention) Act. His brother tries to bail him out. But he is denied bail and ends up spending 7 years in the Tihar Jail. There he meets an extremist Omar Shaikh who tries to radicalize him. But another inmate saves him by inspiring him to finish his higher studies. After getting acquitted, he embarks on a journey to become a lawyer. After undergoing an internship of a few months, he establishes his own firm and from then his life transforming journey begins. This is because he starts fighting for the justice of his fellow beings who have been wrongly accused . Unfortunately, this very life transforming journey ends up taking his life.

Scrutiny: This is a story which narrates a tale of a man who embarks upon a life changing journey. A journey which not only changed his own life but also the life of others as he began fighting for the people who had been denied justice. This is because he himself had faced a similar situation in his earlier days. However, thanks to the advice given by his well-wisher, he could reform himself and live what can be called as a second life. This movie attempts to address an important issue as regards to denial of opportunities to minorities after they are falsely acquitted. It also tries to advocate the fact that the act of terrorism has no religion but it is an act which is caused by some brainwashed individuals who try to create a menace in the society and disrupt its peaceful way of functioning. RajKummar Rao shines as the main protagonist. Mohammed Zeeshan too does a great job by playing the elder brother Arif. One character that really stood out for me even though it was a brief one was that one portrayed by KayKay Menon because he was the one who actually gave Shahid a second life that of a lawyer. After all education is the most powerful weapon through which you can change the world.

The Sentiment: A movie which puts out a strong message through the story of an ordinary man who becomes extraordinary and fights for what is right. This one needs to be in your watch list definitely. The reasons are many : firstly because of the crisp storytelling , secondly because of the acting chops by RajKummar Rao and KayKay Menon , thirdly it highlights various issues which are still prevalent in the society and tries to address them and lastly the story has a National Award actor and a director. This is a movie that tries to provide some food for thought to the mind. So, cheers to stories that give you some food for thought isn’t it ?Don’t forget to share your experiences about the same. Hope you do too find this piece of work highly inspiring and enlightening. Meet you next week with another awesome pick of mine next week. Till then lots of love and care.

Que: What is the name of the person who inspires Shahid to become a lawyer?

a. Omar Shaikh

b. Arif Azmi

c. Maqbool Menon

d. Ghulam Navi Waar