{
  "id": 10631912,
  "title": "Apurva Asrani Questions Why Rajkummar Rao's Shahid Took 13 Years To Reach OTT: 'Is There Growing Resistance To Politics Of Fear?'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/apurva-asrani-questions-why-rajkummar-raos-shahid-took-13-years-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T06:09:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/apurva-asrani-questions-why-rajkummar-raos-shahid-took-13-years-to-reach-ott-is-there-growing-resistance-to-politics-of-fear"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Thirteen years after its theatrical debut, Rajkummar Rao's biopic Shahid has finally found its way to an OTT platform. Apurva M Asrani, the writer-editor behind the film, questioned why it took so long for Shahid to find a streaming home. Asrani took to X to reflect on the film's delayed release and the circumstances that led to its 13-year journey to streaming. Shahid is a National Award-winning drama that follows the story of Shahid Azmi, a lawyer who tirelessly defended individuals accused under terror laws and championed due process, particularly in a climate where Muslims were often presumed guilty before being proven innocent. Asrani highlighted that the film's delayed streaming coincided with a period of rising political suspicion towards dissenters, activists, journalists, and defenders of accused individuals. He also pointed out that during this time, many filmmakers, actors, and writers either struggled to bring similar stories to the screen or were co-opted by the system into making what he deemed \"kosher\" narratives that received National Awards despite their mediocrity and political conformity. Asrani questioned whether the timing of Shahid's OTT release in 2026 was due to a shift in the mood or a growing resistance to the politics of fear. Regardless of the reason, he expressed pride in the film, which he considers a reminder of the kind of courageous cinema once made and celebrated.",
  "summary": "Thirteen years after its theatrical release, Rajkummar Rao-starrer Shahid has finally arrived on an OTT platform. The Hansal Mehta directorial, which won National Awards for Rao and Mehta, is now streaming on Prime Video. However, writer-editor Apurva M Asrani questioned why the critically acclaimed film had to wait so long to find a streaming home. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) on…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}