Slain lawyer Shahid Azmi's family hopeful film on him would get him justice

While the focus during the prolonged trial and eventual execution of the alleged perpetrators of the 26/11 terror attack was on Qasab, the acquittal of Faheem Ansari who was a co-accused, by the honourable Supreme Court, would have made slain lawyer Shahid Azmi very happy. Shahid who was once detained under TADA, made it his life’s mission to defend TADA detainees. Ansari was one of the terror accused whom Shahid Azmi had defended against terror charges. Shahid’s family feels terribly hurt by the fact that he is almost forgotten today. Says the slain lawyer’s brother Khalid, “He lost his life fighting for those accused of terror charges. At least he should be remembered now when guilty have been booked and the innocent have been acquitted.” The film on the life of lawyer Shahid Azmi who was gunned down in his office in broad daylight in February 2010, is being readied for release on Shahid’s death anniversary on 10 February. When the slain attorney’s family members saw actor Raj Kumar Yadav (of Ragini MMS) playing Shahid Azmi in Hansal Mehta’s just-completed bio-pic entitled Shahid they were blown away by the uncanny resemblance. Frankly the resemblance is uncanny (see pics). Says the real-life Shahid’s brother Khalid, “I met the actor Raj Kumar Yadav. He was wearing an exact coat like my brother. His hairstyle was the same too. I think he has done justice to the role as he is very soft spoken, like Bhai. Even their noses look same.” With the film around the corner the family is more hopeful than ever getting justice for the murdered lawyer. Says Khalid, “My brother was a lawyer. He had full faith in the Indian Judiciary. So, do I and my family. I don’t watch a lot of films but, this one, I will. I think it will bring into public focus my brother’s fight and death. Yes, I do think cinema has a much wider audience because if it’s good it can reach out to many cultures. Then it occurred to me that if it affected a person so much that he wanted to make a film on his life it means he would have seen something in his life to have the urge to tell his story. Maybe this way my brother can be remembered longer.” The film’s director Hansal Mehta claims actor Raj Kumar Yadav become so immersed in his character that he began to physically resemble the slain lawyer.