After his parents separated when he was very young, Shahid was brought up by his mother, Neelima Azim, to whom he is said to be the closest. It is well-known that Shahid is a great dancer. In fact, he started off as a dancer, before getting into acting. For this, he has always credited his mother, from whom he learnt the basics of dance. He is known to take care of his mother and younger (half) brother. Recently, when he gifted her with her dream house, a very emotional Neelima was quoted saying that it was her proudest moment.