Days before its November 7 release, the courtroom drama inspired by the landmark 1985 Shah Bano case faces a legal challenge in the MP High Court over allegations of unauthorized use and distortion of the family’s private life.
November 5, 2025: Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam’s highly anticipated courtroom drama, Haq (The Right), has run into serious legal trouble just days ahead of its scheduled release, as the family of Shah Bano Begum—the woman whose historic maintenance case inspired the film—has approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a stay.
Shah Bano’s daughter, Siddiqua Begum, has filed a petition in the Indore Bench of the High Court, alleging that the filmmakers used her mother’s name and life events without obtaining consent, thereby infringing upon the family’s right to privacy and potentially misrepresenting facts.
Family: ‘Private Matter Given a Commercial Angle’
Shah Bano’s family stated they were completely unaware of the film’s existence until the teaser was released online.
Jubair Ahmad Khan (Shah Bano’s Grandson): “A lot of facts in the teaser are distorted. It is our private matter that has been given a commercial angle. They should have taken our permission. The common people will watch the movie and think it shows true events.”
The family’s lawyer, Tauseef Warsi, emphasized that given the film is based on the pivotal case of M.A. Khan vs Shah Bano Begum, consent was mandatory. “It is mandatory to obtain someone’s consent before using their personal life, name, as this falls under the right to privacy,” Warsi claimed in court.
Filmmakers Claim Fictional Depiction
The film’s producers, backed by Junglee Pictures and Harman Baweja, are fighting the stay order in court, arguing that Haq is a fictional work inspired by real events and is not a factual documentary.
Ajay Bagadiya (Producer’s Lawyer): “The disclaimer of the movie clearly says that this movie is inspired by two things: the 1985 Supreme Court judgement in favour of Shah Bano and a book titled Bano, Bharat Ki Beti. It is a fictional depiction, and it is not necessary that everything is presented factually.”
The Landmark Case at the Center of the Storm
The Shah Bano case (1985) remains one of India’s most significant legal and political flashpoints regarding women’s rights and religious personal law. The Supreme Court’s verdict granted maintenance rights to divorced Muslim women under secular law (Section 125 of the CrPC), a decision later overturned by the Rajiv Gandhi government through a special act following widespread conservative protests.
Haq, directed by Suparn S Verma, stars Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam as the estranged couple locked in the court battle. The film’s fate now hangs in the balance, as the Madhya Pradesh High Court heard arguments from both sides on Tuesday and has reserved its order on the petition seeking a stay.