Shah Bano's daughter sends legal notice to the makers and censor board of Yami Gautam, Emraan Hashmi's Haq

Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi star in HAQ

Late Shah Bano's daughter has sent a legal notice to the makers of Yami Gautam, Emraan Hashmi starrer Haq, which is due to release soon.

She has sent a legal notice to both the film's makers and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

According to NDTV, as per the legal notice, Shah Bano's daughter has sought the movie to be not screened with immediate effect. And she further says in the notice that no screening, or promotion of the movie should be done as the movie, which is based on Shah Bano's personal life has been made without the family's consent.

Her daughter Siddiqua Begum, has sent the notice via her advocate Tousif Z Warsi and it is addressed to four parties which include Haq director Suparn Verma, Junglee Pictures (the production partner), Baweja Studios (the promoter), and the CBFC.

As per the legal notice, the film "explicitly or implicitly portrays the personal and private life of Late Smt. Shah Bano Begum, including sensitive family events, personal experiences, and social circumstances", without any authorisation from her legal heirs.

The notice further mentions that since Siddiqua Begum is the biological daughter and legal heir of Shah Bano, the movie has been made without seeking prior permission.

She said this amounts to "unauthorised use, distortion, and commercialisation of private life events", violating fundamental rights of the human being under Indian law.

As per NDTV, the notice also gives references of the Supreme Court's 2017 judgment in Justice KS Puttaswamy (Retd.)  Union of India, which recognised the right to privacy as part of Article 21 of the Constitution, arguing that dramatising a person's private life without consent constitutes a breach of this right.

It also refers to the Delhi High Court's 2003 decision in ICC Development (International) Ltd. v. Arvee Enterprises, which established that no one may commercially exploit an individual's likeness or life story without permission.

Her daughter in the notice has warned that any dramatisation that could "tarnish the image, moral character, or societal perception" of Shah Bano.

The notice also mentions provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957, which grant "moral rights" to authors and their heirs, and argues that the unauthorised portrayal of Shah Bano's life would infringe upon these rights.

According to the notice it says all parties must 'cease and desist' from releasing, promoting, or screening the film in any format until a written consent is obtained from Shah Bano's heirs.

Legal notice also asks the Censor Board to withhold certification for the film.

Failing compliance within seven days, the notice states that Begum 'shall be constrained to take appropriate legal recourse before the competent Court' and hold all involved parties responsible for damages and consequences.

Haq, which also stars Emraan Hashmi, is directed by Suparn Verma and produced by Junglee Pictures  in association with Baweja Studios. It is going to release on November 7, 2025.

What is the story of Haq? 

The film is loosely based on life of Shah Bano Begum, whose landmark legal battle in the 1980s - Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum became a turning point in the country's debate on women's rights and maintenance laws.

The case of Shah Bano, a 62-year-old divorced Muslim woman who sought maintenance from her husband under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code, led to a historic Supreme Court ruling in her favour in 1985.

The verdict made sure that divorced Muslim women were entitled to maintenance irrespective of personal laws. It also triggered a nationwide socio-political debate and it ultimately led to the enactment of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986.

Nobody from the Junglee Pictures or Baweja Studios has issued any official response.