Yami Gautam, Emraan Hashmi-starrer Haq in trouble? MP HC takes big step on Shah Bano’s daughter’s plea seeking stay on release

Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi during rights promotions

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday heard a petition seeking a stay on the release of Hindi film Haq, said to be inspired by the famous Shah Bano case of the 1980s, over misrepresentation of events on November 7 (Friday) and reserved its verdict. The petition was filed in the Indore bench of the HC by Siddiqua Begum Khan, daughter of Shah Bano Begum, who became famous for her courageous legal fight against the Supreme Court to get alimony from her husband after her divorce from him.

The plea alleges that the film, starring Yami Gautam Dhar and Emraan Hashmi in the lead roles, was shot without her family’s permission and falsely portrays the events in her late mother’s private life. During the hearing before Justice Pranay Verma, Khan’s lawyer Tousif Warsi, citing the teaser and trailer of Haq, argued that the film reflects a distorted image of Shah Bano. This claim was rejected by lawyers representing companies featured in the film, who called on the single-judge panel to dismiss the petition.

The film is said to be inspired by the Shah Bano case, which resulted in a landmark decision by the Supreme Court in 1985 regarding post-divorce maintenance of Muslim women. Respondents to the petition included the central government, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and Haq director Suparn S Varma, along with three private companies associated with the film. Justice Verma reserved his decision on the petition after hearing detailed arguments from all parties concerned.

Shah Bano, a resident of Indore, filed a suit in a local court seeking maintenance after her divorce from her lawyer husband Mohammed Ahmed Khan in 1978. After Shah Bano’s long legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled in her favor in 1985. The verdict of the five-judge Constitution bench of the high court held that Muslim women also have the right to receive alimony according to the law.

Following protests by Muslim organizations against the SC verdict, the Rajiv Gandhi government enacted the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act in 1986. This law effectively overruled the Supreme Court’s decision in the Shah Bano case. Shah Bano passed away in 1992.

READ | Kantara Part 1 is the sixth highest-grossing Hindi dubbed film; The top 10 list includes Pushpa 2, Baahubali 2, RRR, Salaar, KGF 2.