Solaris Pictures presents
Saturday, December 14, 2013 | 6.00pm
|
SHAHID
105 min / India /
2012
Hindi with English
subtitles
Dir: Hansal Mehta
 |
Synopsis
True story of slain
human rights activist and lawyer Shahid Azmi, an ordinary citizen with an
extraordinary commitment to justice. From attempting to become a terrorist to
being wrongly imprisoned under a draconian anti-terrorism law to becoming a
criminal lawyer 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.
|
Festivals & Awards
World Premiere -
Toronto Film Festival, 2012
Centerpiece Film -
13th Annual New York Indian Film Festival, 2012
14th Mumbai Film
Festival, India, 2012
10th Indian Film
Festival Stuttgart, Germany, 2013
|
Director’s Statement
“Shahid was born
out of growing angst about our times and also the need to break my own
creative inertia. His story stared at me in the face. A young man, a lawyer
killed in his office by unknown assailants and a journey that was truly
remarkable. I think Shahid had an unfinished legacy that I was destined to
take forward. Shahid reflects the concerns and frustration I have expressed
in my earlier films about the common man and his inability to become a
vehicle of change while complaining incessantly. The difference is that
Shahid is inspired by a real life and despite the loss of a young life the
film offers an optimistic future for the world provided we the people are
willing to be the change. It was Shahid's story that offered so much hope in
the midst of such despair that prompted my decision contrary to the belief
that I did it because my wife is Muslim. Issues like religious minorities,
division and discrimination are part of this remarkable story. I have not
taken these up consciously and I do not attempt to preach through the film. I
just hope my film opens up sensible discourse around the country and
audiences go back home examining their own prejudices and the way they lead
their lives.”
- Hansal Mehta
|
HANSAL MEHTA made his directorial debut in 1998 with Jayate, a languid tale on Indian
judiciary, medical malpractice and ordinary human lives in Mumbai. This was
followed by the dark, tragic and funny Dil
Pe Mat Le Yaar (2000), a film that reflected Hansal’s concern for the
increasingly marginalized immigrants in the city of Bombay and a stylish
gangster flick Chhal (2002). He then went on to explore the mainstream with
films like Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?
(2002), Raakh (2005) and Woodstock Villa (2008). He then took
an extended sabbatical to explore social work, rural life and new stories.
His work has always been and continues to be well received in independent
Indian cinema, especially because of his early films that reflected various
sub-cultures that inhabit the complex city of Mumbai. His latest film Shahid (2012) is the result of this
soul-searching mission and a return to roots for Hansal. Shahid is a deeply
personal story that reflects Hansal’s anger and concern towards
religious/class based/racial intolerance around the world.
|
Links
|
FREE ENTRY. REGISTRATION AT VENUE
Seating
is on a first-come, first-served basis
Alliance Française de Bombay
40, Theosophy Hall, 1st
Cross Lane, New Marine Lines, Mumbai 400020
Ph: 022 2203 5993
|
FLASHPOINT Human Rights Film Festival brings together human rights films from around the world to offer hope that change is possible and each one of us can be a flashpointer for change
SHAHID
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment