“Haq” has become embroiled in legal controversy
Days before its theatrical release, Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam’s film “Haq” has become embroiled in legal controversy. The family of Shah Bano, on whom the film is based, has alleged that it violates their privacy and that the filmmakers did not obtain their consent before making the film. Shah Bano’s granddaughter has approached the court seeking a stay on the film’s release.
Shah Bano’s daughter approaches court against “Haq”: Shah Bano’s daughter, Siddiqa Begum, has filed a petition in the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a stay on the release of “Haq.” The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 7th. Siddiqa’s lawyer, Tausif Warsi, stated that the filmmakers did not obtain the family’s consent before using Shah Bano’s name or life story.
Warsi told ANI, “This film is based on the historic case of M.A. Khan vs. Shah Bano Begum. For the first time in Indian history, a Muslim woman fought for maintenance and won the case… It is mandatory to obtain someone’s consent before using their personal life or name, as it falls under the right to privacy.”
All about Haq: Directed by Supran S. Verma, Haq is based on the landmark 1985 Shah Bano case, which concerned women’s rights and maintenance laws in India. In 1978, Shah Bano, then 62, filed a petition in an Indore court seeking alimony from her divorced husband, Mohammad Ahmed Khan, a wealthy and well-known lawyer. The couple had married in 1932 and had five children. In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled that Shah Bano was entitled to alimony under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. However, the following year, the Rajiv Gandhi government passed a law that effectively nullified this ruling.
