Shahid is a hard-of-hearing actor who was trained at Carol Godby’s Theatre Workshops based in Bury. He performed in several festivals of short plays that gave him the experience and confidence to perform. Shahid took part in the BollyIdol talent development initiative by Phizzical Productions in 2005 and he was cast in "What You Fancy", a modern adaptation of Twelfth Night. Shahid is involved with Manchester Muslim Writers, an association which has encouraged him to experiment in writing short stories and poetry.