The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition to restrain the release of HAQ, starring Yami Gautam Dhar and Emraan Hashmi. Directed by Suparn S Varma, the film is inspired by the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court on Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum case, in which the Supreme Court ruled in favour of providing maintenance to divorced Muslim females.
The petition against HAQ was filed by Shah Bano Begum’s daughter, Siddiqua Begum Khan, who argued that the filmmakers could not have made such a film and depict such events without taking consent from Shah Bano’s family or heirs. She had stated that she had inherited her late mother’s reputational rights after Bano’s death.
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 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.
Insomnia Films (a producer) was represented by advocates HY Mehta, Chinmay Mehta along with Chandrajit Das, briefed by Parinaam Law Associates. Junglee Pictures was represented by Senior Advocate Ajay Bagadia and advocate Ritik Gupta along with advocate Jasmeet Kaur, briefed by Anand Naik & Co.
Directed by Suparn Varma, HAQ stars Emraan Hashmi, Yami Gautam Dhar and it also also features Vartika Singh making her debut with the film and powerhouse performers Sheeba Chaddha, Danish Hussain, and Aseem Hattangady. It explores themes of the Uniform Civil Code, Triple Talaq, and gender equality before the law. Written by Reshu Nath, produced by Junglee Pictures, in association with Insomnia Films and Baweja Studios, HAQ is set for a worldwide release on 7th November 2025.
Also Read: HAQ Initial Reactions: Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam Lead a Powerful Courtroom Drama
