Haq releasing soon
The highly anticipated film Haq, starring Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi, is scheduled to arrive in theaters this Friday, November 7.
What is Haq about?
Haq is based on the legendary case of Mohd. Ahmed Khan vs Shah Bano Begum. In 1980s India, Shazia Bano’s (Yami Gautam) world falls apart when her lawyer husband, Abbas (Emraan Hashmi), abandons her and their three children after marrying a second time. At first, Abbas agrees to pay monthly maintenance for their children, but when he stops, Bano takes the bold step of going to court. In response, Ahmed tries to silence her by pronouncing triple talaq. What begins as her personal struggle soon grows into a national debate about faith, women’s rights, and justice. Bano’s courage turns her into a symbol of resistance against patriarchy. Inspired by the landmark Supreme Court of India judgment in Shah Bano vs. Ahmed Khan, Haq is the story of an Indian woman’s fight for her rights.
Who was Shah Bano?
Shah Bano, a Muslim woman, was married to Mohammed Ahmed Khan, an affluent and well-known advocate in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, and had five children from the marriage.
What is the case about?
The Shah Bano case was a controversial maintenance lawsuit in India, in which the Supreme Court delivered a judgment in favour of providing maintenance to an aggrieved divorced Muslim woman. The government enacted a law, with its most controversial aspect being the right to maintenance during the period of iddat after the divorce, and shifting the responsibility of maintaining women to her relatives or the Waqf Board. The law was seen as discriminatory as it denied the right to basic maintenance available to Muslim women under secular law.
Shah Bano case and its impact on…
The judgment in favour of the woman in this case evoked criticisms among Muslims, some of whom cited the Quran to show that the judgment conflicted with Islamic law. It triggered controversy about the extent of having different civil codes for different religions in India.
Shah Bano case takes political turn
The case caused the Congress government, with its absolute majority, to pass the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, which diluted the judgment of the Supreme Court and restricted the right of Muslim divorcées to alimony from their former husbands for only 90 days after the divorce (the period of iddah in Islamic law).
Muslim Women Act
However, in later judgments, including the Danial Latifi vs Union of India case and Shamima Farooqui vs Shahid Khan, the Supreme Court of India interpreted the act in a manner reassuring the validity of the case and consequently upheld the Shah Bano judgement, and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986 was nullified. Some Muslims, including the All India Shia Personal Law Board, supported the Supreme Court’s order to make the right to maintenance of a divorced Muslim wife absolute.
About Haq
The trailer of Haq was released ahead of its launch and quickly ignited discussion for its intense courtroom scenes and social relevance. Released on October 27, 2025, the official trailer has garnered more than 30 million views so far on YouTube. Besides the lead actors, Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi. The supporting cast of the film includes Sheeba Chaddha, Danish Hussain and Aseem Hattangady, among others.
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