Film ‘Haq’ Spotlights Shah Bano Case: Emraan Hashmi Discusses Women’s Dignity and Equality

Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam star in the upcoming legal drama Haq, directed by Suparn S Varma, a film inspired by the controversial 1985 Shah Bano Case, sparking dialogue on maintenance laws and women’s rights in India.

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Actor Emraan Hashmi is set to lead the cast of the highly anticipated legal drama, Haq. The film, which is slated to hit theatres on November 7, takes its inspiration from the historic and contentious Shah Bano Case, making it a highly relevant cinematic piece for contemporary times.

Hashmi plays the role of a noted lawyer in the film, whose professional life is turned into a courtroom battle when he is challenged by his own estranged wife for maintenance. The film features Yami Gautam as his wife, a character inspired by Shah Bano Begum, who fought a landmark legal battle for her right to dignity and financial support. The cast also includes Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, Sheeba Chadha, and Aseem Hattangady.

A Story of Dignity and Equality: Emraan Hashmi’s Perspective

Speaking about the film’s core message, Emraan Hashmi emphasized that while the narrative draws from an issue within the Muslim community, its themes are universally applicable and speak to all men.

“It’s a story of a woman’s voice. It’s a story of equality. It’s a story of a certain right to dignity. It’s a story for men as well,” the actor stated in a recent interview.

Hashmi addressed the ingrained biases prevalent in a patriarchal society, where men might believe they can act without regard for the consequences on a woman’s dignity. He stressed that the film aims to make men introspect and find value in understanding these biases.

He further clarified the film’s stance: Haq is ‘pro-women’ and is not intended to be against any specific community or religion. The director, Suparn S Varma, along with the creators, aimed to present the case in an unbiased way. Hashmi hopes that the audience leaves the theatre with a single takeaway: the film raises an essential issue regarding dignity and equality of rights for women, without judging or pointing fingers at anyone.

The Landmark Shah Bano Case

The film is built upon the real-life Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum case, which began in 1978.

• The Petition: Shah Bano Begum, at the age of 62, filed a petition in the Indore court seeking maintenance from her husband, Mohammed Ahmed Khan, an affluent and well-known lawyer, who had divorced her after 46 years of marriage and five children.
• The Supreme Court Verdict: The case eventually reached the Supreme Court of India, which ruled in Shah Bano’s favor, stating she was entitled to maintenance under the general provision of Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which applies to all citizens irrespective of their religion. This judgment was hailed as a significant victory for Muslim women’s rights.
• The Overturn: However, in 1986, the Rajiv Gandhi government passed a new legislation, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, which effectively nullified the Supreme Court’s decision, limiting a divorced Muslim woman’s maintenance entitlement to the iddat period (about three months) following the divorce.

Haq, directed by Suparn S Varma and produced by Vineet Jain, Vishal Gurnani, Juhi Parekh Mehta, and Harman Baweja, seeks to bring this critical piece of legal and social history back into public discussion.

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