Mumbai: Just when Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam were gearing up for their film ‘Haq’ to hit theatres this Friday, November 7, a major roadblock emerged. The Indore High Court is hearing a petition that seeks to stall the film’s release.
Here’s what’s brewing: The family whose story inspired this courtroom drama isn’t happy about how it’s been told. Jubair Ahmad Khan, Shah Bano’s grandson, says the family was blindsided when the film’s teaser dropped online. Nobody from the production team bothered to ask for permission, he claims.
Jubair isn’t holding back. He’s pointed out that the teaser shows way more than just courtroom proceedings.
If the film is based only on the case, then it should show the court proceedings. But it includes aspects of my grandmother’s personal life,”
he told the media, visibly upset about what he calls distortion of facts.
For those who don’t know the backstory, this film revisits the explosive 1985 Shah Bano case, where a Muslim woman took her husband Mohammed Ahmad Khan to the Supreme Court demanding maintenance after he abandoned her. That case became a watershed moment in Indian legal history, sparking nationwide debates about women’s rights and religious laws.
In ‘Haq’, Yami Gautam steps into the shoes of Shazia Bano, the fictionalized version of Shah Bano. What makes it even more intriguing is Emraan Hashmi’s double role – he plays both Abbas, Shazia’s husband and the opposing lawyer fighting against her in court. It’s a bold directorial choice by Suparn S. Verma that adds layers to the narrative.
The screenplay draws from Jigna Vora’s book ‘Bano: Bharat ki Beti’. But here’s where it gets sticky: Shah Bano’s daughter argues in her petition that the film violates her mother’s personality rights and portrays her in a manner that’s disrespectful to her memory.
The producers aren’t backing down though. Their lawyer Ajay Bagadiya maintains that the film carries a clear disclaimer stating it’s a fictionalized account inspired by the Supreme Court judgment and a book – not a documentary that needs to stick to every factual detail.
Meanwhile, early reviews from critics who’ve caught the film have been glowing, particularly praising both Yami and Emraan for what’s being called their finest performances to date. The film apparently doesn’t just tell one woman’s battle – it tackles bigger questions about faith, justice and equality that remain relevant today.
Justice Pranay Verma heard arguments from all sides on Tuesday and reserved his judgment. Now everyone’s waiting with bated breath. Will Junglee Pictures’ ambitious project make it to theatres on November 7 as planned, or will the court slam the brakes? The next 48 hours will tell.
Also Read | Two Sides, One Fight: Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi’s Intense ‘Haq’ Posters Unveiled
