More than a decade after its theatrical release, Hansal Mehta’s National Award-winning Shahid has finally arrived on Prime Video. The 2013 film, which stars Rajkummar Rao as lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi, had remained unavailable on a streaming platform for years. Its long-awaited OTT debut has now prompted writer-editor Apurva M Asrani to reflect on why it took 13 years for the film to find a digital home.

Apurva Asrani questions Shahid’s 13-year OTT delay

Apurva Asrani, who co-wrote and edited the film, marked its arrival on Prime Video with a note on X. While celebrating the film’s streaming release, he questioned whether the political climate over the years had played any role in the prolonged absence of a film centred on dissent, due process and the rights of those accused under terror laws.