Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam's HAQ in legal trouble; Shah Bano’s daughter moves court ahead of release

Shah Bano's daughter send legal notice to Haq team

Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam’s legal drama HAQ finds itself in a legal storm just weeks before the scheduled release. Siddiqua Begum, daughter of the late Shah Bano Begum, has issued a legal notice to the filmmakers, alleging the film uses her mother’s life story without proper authorisation.

The notice was directed to Suparn S Verma who helmed the film, production houses Junglee Pictures and Baweja Studios, and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

HAQ is reportedly based on the landmark 1985 Supreme Court case Mohd Ahmed Khan vs Shah Bano Begum, which shaped maintenance law for divorced Muslim women in India. According to the legal notice, the daughter alleges that the film’s storyline mirrors Shah Bano’s personal and legal journey without consent of her legal heirs.

The notice demands “restraint on the publication, screening, promotion, or release of the upcoming film.”

Despite the legal challenge, the film remains slated for a theatrical release on November 7. The producers, including Vineet Jain, Vishal Gurnani, Juhi Parekh Mehta, and Harman Baweja, have not publicly commented on the notice.

The Shah Bano case occupies a pivotal space in Indian legal and social history. The 1986 amendment to the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act followed the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of Shah Bano.

Also Read: Shah Bano's legal heirs move Indore HC to halt release of Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam's ‘Haq’

The film had sparked debate online following its trailer release. Several social media users alleged that Haq portrays Muslims in a negative light, prompting Emraan to address the issue. “I read the script of this film, I saw it from the perspective of a creative actor, but for the first time in my career, I had to see that there is a sensitivity regarding a community, regarding my community,” he said to ANI.

Emraan, who identifies as a “liberal Muslim,” emphasised that Haq was made with balance and fairness. “I have to be a little cognisant and analyse it in a different way. What I have extrapolated from this film is that there is a very balanced point of view. We are not pointing a finger at any community or passing a judgment,” he added.

Emraan Hashmi reiterated that Haq was not intended to hurt sentiments. “As a liberal Muslim, I can say that I had no problems with the viewpoint of the film. Because we are not maligning any community. If we were, I wouldn’t have done this film,” he said firmly.