The upcoming Hindi film Haq, directed by Suparn S Varma and reportedly inspired by the Shah Bano case, is facing legal hurdles just days before release. Shah Bano’s daughter, Siddiqua Begum Khan, has approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court to stop the film’s release.
She claims the film distorts events from her late mother’s life and was made without the family’s permission. Haq, starring Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam Dhar, is set to release on November 7. The petition was heard briefly by the Indore bench of the High Court and will continue on November 4.
According to Siddiqua Begum Khan’s lawyer, Tousif Warsi, the film misrepresents personal details of Shah Bano’s story under the pretext of creative liberty. Shah Bano, an Indore resident, became a key figure in India’s legal history after seeking maintenance from her ex-husband in 1978.
The Supreme Court’s 1985 verdict in her favour upheld Muslim women’s right to maintenance under general law, igniting major political and religious debates. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 later overturned that ruling, reshaping India’s legal and social discourse.
Shah Bano passed away in 1992, but her case remains central to India’s gender justice movement. The latest court petition now questions how films portray real events and whether creative expression should override personal consent.
