In a major development ahead of its theatrical release, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has rejected the plea filed by Siddiqua Begum, who claims to be the daughter of Shah Bano, seeking a stay on the release of Haq. The upcoming film, starring Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam Dhar, has been at the centre of controversy after Siddiqua challenged the makers for allegedly portraying her mother’s story without the family’s consent.
HAQ: Madhya Pradesh High Court dismisses Shah Bano’s daughter’s petition against release of Emraan Hashmi, Yami Gautam starrer
Siddiqua Begum had approached the court demanding a ban on the film’s release and promotional activities, arguing that Haq draws directly from the life and personal experiences of her late mother, Shah Bano, whose historic 1985 Supreme Court case reshaped Indian legal and social discourse. According to Siddiqua, the film infringes upon the family’s privacy and misuses personal details under the guise of creative liberty.
Justice Pranay Verma at the Indore Bench of the High Court rejected the arguments, holding, “Privacy or reputation earned by a person during his or her lifetime extinguishes with his or her death. It cannot be inherited like a movable or immovable property.”
The legal team representing Haq, however, strongly refuted the claims. They clarified that the film is not a biographical retelling but is inspired by the well-known Supreme Court judgment in the case Mohd Ahmed Khan vs Shah Bano Begum. The team further stated that the story draws from the published novel ‘Bano, Bharat Ki Beti’ by Jigna Vora, and focuses more on the court proceedings without referencing personal family matters.
The court also accepted the filmmaker’s stance that HAQ is “inspired” by the landmark case. It is fictional and the disclaimer that states the same is also a part of the movie. “Since the disclaimer itself states that the same is dramatization and is fictional and an adaptation of a book and is inspired by a judgment of the Apex Court, it cannot be said that the contents of the film are fabricated. Since the film is an inspiration and a fiction, some amount of leeway is certainly permissible and merely because the same is done, it cannot be said that there has been any sensationalization or false portrayal,” the Court said.
In its final verdict, the Court also noted that the film is stated to be largely inspired from publicly available court records. “Once a matter becomes a matter of public record, the right of privacy no longer subsists and it becomes a legitimate subject for comment by the Press and Media amongst others. The same is precisely the fact situation in the present case,” it said.
Additionally, the Court also accepted an argument by the filmmakers that the petitioner had an alternative approach of heading to the Central government for revoking or suspending the censor certificate granted by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), instead of coming to the Court directly.
The controversy had previously been addressed by Emraan Hashmi in an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, where he expressed the team’s awareness of the issue’s sensitivity. “All I can say is that I think we have been very sensitive to the overall issue. We are not passing judgement or pointing a finger at a particular thing in this film on the case. We have extrapolated certain things inspired from that case. We have been very sensitive in the way we have documented it in the film. Again, it’s a sensitive thing, so I can’t really go beyond that,” he had said.
Directed by Suparn S. Varma, Haq marks the first on-screen collaboration between Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam Dhar. Early screenings have already earned the film strong praise from critics for its compelling narrative and performances.
With the court’s decision now clearing the path, we believe Haq will arrive in cinemas on November 7, as originally planned.
Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Emraan Hashmi DEFENDS Haq amid Shah Bano’s family’s legal objection; says, “We have extrapolated certain things inspired from that case”
More Pages: Haq Box Office Collection , Haq Movie Review
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