Talking with Subhash K Jha, writer Apurva Asrani is delighted to see the hard-hitting Shahid, starring Rajkummar Rao, now streaming 14 years after it first premiered.
Is it a triumphant moment to see Shahid finally make it on OTT?
It feels like a victory. Shahid was made on a shoestring budget by a very hungry director, Hansal Mehta, who inspired an entire team with passion and, famously, his wonderful cooking. We were writing the film as we shot it and edited it; money was being gathered along the way, and we were working with footage from very different cameras.
Was it as challenging as it sounds?Shahid was a roaring critical success?
The film went on to premiere at the prestigious TIFF, win two National Awards, two Screen Awards for writing, a Filmfare Award for Rajkummar Rao, and it was also my debut as a screenwriter.
Its journey on the digital domain was erratic.
It was incredibly disheartening to see it briefly appear on streaming platforms over the years, only to be unceremoniously taken down. To finally see it find what seems to be a permanent home on Amazon Prime is deeply satisfying. I’m grateful to Prime, and I hope the film finds the audience it deserves, because this story feels particularly important right now.
