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. 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. 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 High Court seems that the court has taken these arguments into consideration, as it has refused to impose any restrictions on the film, allowing its release to proceed as scheduled. 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”.
