'I don't know what people will say, but as a liberal Muslim I can say that I had no problems with the viewpoint of the film. Because we are not maligning any community, if we were, I wouldn't have done this film...'
Emraan Hashmi says his upcoming film Haq draws inspiration from the historic 1985 Shah Bano case, describing it as a story that reflects a balance between personal faith and constitutional law. He also noted that the movie was not meant to "malign" any community or religion and talks about women's rights and dignity.
He said, "Maybe the younger generation doesn't know much about this case. The film is inspired by the 1985 Shah Bano case, in which Ahmed Khan divorced Shah Bano, who then fought for her dignity in the sessions court, the high court, and the Supreme Court after her husband stopped her maintenance."
He added, "Shah Bano said 'Mein mussalman hoon, lekin hindustani aurat hoon pehle' and 'I should get my maintenance under secular law and constitutional law beyond Muslim personal law'. It became a landmark case; Shah Bano was fighting for a lot of women, for different generations to come.
"So even then, the country was divided on this argument. Because on one side was the law of religion. On the other side was the secular, all-encompassing constitutional law for every citizen. Obviously, the verdict that came, we have to accept it. But there is always a tilt. That a personal law is also a sacred and sacrosanct to a religion. So it was a very interesting story. And it was based on that."
Emraan emphasised that the film's purpose is not to form any opinion. "This is a film where, when you step out of the theatre, we will find it is pro-women and we have raised the issue for their dignity, for their equality of rights.
"But at the same time, if you feel that during the final monologue and the film, Ahmed bhi Abbas bhi jo apne nazariye se ki jo environment mein pala bada tha jo uski conditioning thi vo sahi tha apni taraf toh humne apna kaam kar liya... So we are not judging anyone in this film.
"We are not pointing fingers. We have just shown you the case in a very unbiased way. And then it is up to you as to how you step out of the theatre," he explained.
The actor, who is known for films such as Murder, Hamari Adhuri Kahani and Jannat, among others, shared that he approached the story with sensitivity.
"I read the script of this film, I saw it from the perspective of a creative actor, but for the first time in my career, I had to see that there is a sensitivity regarding a community, regarding my community. I have to be a little cognisant, and I have to analyse it in a different way. What I have extrapolated from this film is that there is a very balanced point of view. So we are not talking about anything, we are not pointing a finger at a community or passing a judgment," he said.
Hashmi said that the film did not "malign" or target any community. "I don't know what people will say, but as a liberal Muslim, I can say that I had no problems with the viewpoint of the film. Because we are not maligning any community, if we were I wouldn't have done this film...
"And just to give a viewpoint of the kind of Muslim I am, I married Parveen, who is a Hindu. Meri family mein mere bete puja bhi karte hai, namaaz bhi padhte hai. This is my secular upbringing. So from my point of view, I am watching this film. Everyone watches a film according to their conditioning, religious tenets, upbringing, environment, and viewpoint."
Urging viewers to watch the film, he said, "Not just the Muslim community. Of course, they should see it. Women should see it. It's a story of a woman's voice. It's a story of equality. It's a story of a certain right to dignity. It's a story for men as well.
"I think these biases that men have in a patriarchal society, that we think it's a man's world, and we will do whatever we can, and it costs a woman her dignity. That has been reflected in this film. If you introspect on that, you will find value in this film. For men as well."
Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam are set to bring a true story from the '80s to the screen in Haq, which focuses on the famous Mohammed Ahmed Khan vs Shah Bano Begum case.
Emraan and Yami will play the lead roles as Mohammed Ahmed Khan and Shah Bano Begum, with a fierce courtroom confrontation.
The Shah Bano maintenance case, as it was known, was considered a legal milestone in the battle for the protection of the rights of Muslim women in India.
In 1978, Shah Bano (62) filed a petition in the Indore court, seeking maintenance from her divorced husband, Mohammed Ahmed Khan, an affluent and well-known lawyer.
In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled that Shah Bano was entitled to maintenance. However, a year later, the Rajiv Gandhi government brought in legislation to overturn the court verdict.
Directed by Suparn S Varma, Haq also features Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, Sheeba Chadha, and Aseem Hattangady in prominent roles.
Made under the banner of Junglee Pictures, the film is produced by Vineet Jain, Vishal Gurnani, Juhi Parekh Mehta, and Harman Baweja. It will hit theatres on November 7, 2025.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
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