The film is the true story of slain lawyer Shahid Azmi, who fought several pro-bono cases in India.

This compelling drama tells the remarkable true story of slain human rights activist Shahid Azmi, who became a powerful voice against the intercommunal violence that has engulfed Mumbai since the early 1990s.

Shahid is the remarkable true story of slain human rights activist and lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was killed in 2010 by unidentified assailants in his office. From attempting to become a terrorist, to being wrongly imprisoned under a draconian anti-terrorism law, to becoming a champion of human rights (particularly of the Muslim minorities in India), Shahid traces the inspiring personal journey of a boy who became an unlikely messiah for human rights, while following the rise of communal violence in India. This story of an impoverished Muslim struggling to come to terms with injustice and inequality, whilerising above his circumstances is an inspiring testament to the human spirit.

Says director Hansal Mehta, “I got interested in Shahid when I was researching for my first film Jayate. I got to know that at the age of 16 Shahid was accused of conspiracy against the State and arrested. He spent 5-6 years in Tihar jail. It’s there during his years as a Tihar inmate that Shahid became interested in the legal system and in defending the indefensible.”