'Actor was born': Hansal Mehta recalls casting Rajkummar in 'Shahid'
What's the story
On the occasion of Rajkummar Rao's 41st birthday on Sunday, director Hansal Mehta took to Instagram to share a poster of their film Shahid. The poster was used by Mehta to convince producers that Rao was the right choice for the role of lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi. In his post, Mehta also revealed that many people initially believed the film's title wasn't commercially viable, leading some team members to drop out.
Actor's commitment
Rao dedicated over 11 months to 'Shahid'
Mehta praised Rao for his dedication to the film, saying he "gave the part his immense talent, his passion and over 11 months of his life." He added that Rao became not just a close collaborator but also family. "It's his birthday today. This poster is where it all began. An actor was born. A bond was formed. And we were blessed," Mehta wrote in his Instagram post.
Film's impact
Film helped Rao reach great heights
The film, released on October 18, 2013, was a critical success. Rao's performance earned him the Best Actor award at the 61st National Film Awards. Mehta also won the Best Director award for his work on Shahid. The film was produced by Anurag Kashyap and Sunil Bohra in association with Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur under UTV Spotboy.