Shah Bano's Daughter Petitions MP High Court To Halt 'Haq' Release

The daughter of Shah Bano Begum, whose 1985 Supreme Court battle for alimony revolutionized maintenance rights for divorced Muslim women, has moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court to block the release of upcoming film 'Haq', alleging it unlawfully exploits and misrepresents her mother's personal life without consent.

Siddiqua Begum Khan filed the petition at the Indore bench on November 3, seeking an immediate stay on the film's screening, promotion, and exhibition. The plea, heard before Justice Pranay Verma, contends that 'Haq'—directed by Suparn S Varma and starring Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam—draws directly from her mother's landmark case (Mohd Ahmed Khan vs Shah Bano Begum) but fabricates events, violating privacy and constituting defamation.

Advocate Tousif Warsi, representing Khan, argued: "The entire movie is reflective of the personal life of the late Shah Bano Begum... Written consent was not obtained from her biological daughters. Personal life moments are included that should be disclosed." He highlighted the trailer's references to real persons and events, calling the depiction "derogatory" and the CBFC's certification a "statutory dereliction." The petition demands revocation of the censor board's approval until legal heirs grant permission.

The 1985 Supreme Court verdict awarded Shah Bano, then 62, maintenance under Section 125 CrPC from her ex-husband, a prominent Indore lawyer, despite their 1932 marriage and five children. The ruling sparked protests from Muslim organizations, leading the Rajiv Gandhi government to enact the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, which nullified it. Shah Bano passed away in 1992.

Filmmakers from Junglee Pictures and Baweja Studios maintain 'Haq' is inspired by publicly available judgments and literature, not a biopic. A legal notice was issued earlier to director Varma, producers, and CBFC, demanding restraint on the November 7 release. The court listed the matter for further hearing, with both sides appearing on Monday.

This legal hurdle comes amid heightened scrutiny of biopics, echoing past controversies like 'The Kashmir Files' or 'The Kerala Story', where families contested portrayals. For Khan, it's personal: "The film distorts my mother's courageous struggle," her lawyer stated. As 'Haq', featuring Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, and others, gears for theaters, the outcome could redefine boundaries for films drawing from real-life legal sagas.