When Haq releases on 7 November 2025, it does
more than deliver an intense courtroom drama it opens up one of India’s most
uncomfortable moral and legal debates. The film, starring Emraan Hashmi and
Yami Gautam Dhar, is inspired by the landmark Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano
Begum judgment of 1985. As such, the film arrives at a moment when
India’s social conscience is ready to question faith, age-old personal laws,
and secular principles of equality all over again.
The Story
at the Heart
Haq tells the story of a Muslim woman named
“Shazia Bano” in the film—who seeks maintenance from her husband under
Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code after he abandons her and their
children. What begins as a private dispute becomes a
national legal and moral battle exploring where personal religious law collides
with secular legal obligations. The teaser makes this clear: “I am not just a
Muslim woman, but a Muslim woman of India… the law should treat me the same way
it treats others.”
Why This
Case Matters
In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of
Shah Bano, deciding that a divorced Muslim woman was entitled to maintenance
under Section 125—designed as a secular safeguard for all citizens. Yet, in 1986, the government passed the Muslim
Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, effectively nullifying the
court’s progress by limiting maintenance to the brief iddat period. This move
highlighted how legal reforms can be undone by politics. The film revisits that
fault line—between secular law, personal law, religion and politics.
The Film’s
Lens on Justice and Reform
Beyond personal drama, Haq poses national
questions: How far has India travelled since 1985? How many decades were lost
while equality and dignity waited at the altar of political convenience? The
film reminds us that while major steps were taken such as the ban on instant
triple talaq in 2017 and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage)
Act, 2019 they were victories in isolation, not the full realisation of the
promised constitutional equality.
What Haq
Asks of Us
Haq asks us to reflect: In a diverse
democracy, should one law cover all citizens when it comes to marriage, divorce
and inheritance? The film visually captures this via intense courtroom
confrontation between lead characters, and between belief and law. If the film succeeds in sparking that
hush-hush debate, its importance will extend far beyond ticket sales.
The Release
and the Context
Directed by Suparn S. Varma and produced by
Junglee Pictures in association with other studios, Haq is set for theatres on
7 November 2025. It carries some legal baggage too—the family
of Shah Bano has allegedly sent a notice to the film’s makers, claiming the
story uses private life events without permission.
Why You
Should Care
Whether you go to the cinema for entertainment
or reflection, Haq offers both. The film isn’t just about one woman’s fight it
mirrors a wider struggle for justice, gender equality, and legal clarity in
India. The law may have spoken, governments may have acted, but the real test
lies in whether all women regardless of faith are treated equally under law.
Until that equality is realised, Haq remains not just a film title, but a
question India still owes an answer to.
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