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New Delhi: The much-awaited Bollywood film Haq, starring Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam, has been cleared for release after a legal challenge was dismissed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The movie, inspired by the landmark 1985 Shah Bano Begum maintenance case, faced a last-minute plea from Shah Bano’s daughter seeking to block its release. However, the court found the petition lacking merit and noted delays in raising objections, paving the way for the film’s scheduled release on November 7.
The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected the plea filed by Siddiqua Begum Khan, daughter of the late Shah Bano Begum, who had sought to stop the film from being released. The petitioner argued that the movie “explicitly dramatises the personal and matrimonial life” of her late parents without consent.
She claimed the film contains “fabricated, sensationalised and false portrayals” that violate her mother’s privacy and dignity rights under Article 21 of the Constitution. The petitioner also maintained that personality and moral rights are inheritable, giving her the authority to prevent the film’s release.
However, the court did not accept these arguments. Justice Pranay Verma noted that the petition was filed only a few days before the film’s release and after it had already received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). He said, “The petitioner did not act immediately but preferred this petition on 01.11.2025, i.e. less than a week before the release of the film and that too, after the grant of the Certificate.” The court also pointed out that the petitioner had not taken earlier legal remedies, such as approaching the Central Government for suspension or revocation of the certificate.
The film’s producers defended the movie as a “fictional adaptation” of the book 'Bano: Bharat ki Beti' and stressed that it is only “inspired by the judgment” of the Supreme Court. They argued that the story and characters are fictional and protected under their right to artistic and creative freedom as per Article 19(1)(a).
The court supported this view, stating that since the film had been certified by the CBFC, “there was a prima facie presumption that the authority concerned had taken into account all the guidelines while issuing the certificate.” The petition was ultimately dismissed as “devoid of any merits,” allowing the film’s release to proceed without legal obstacles.
The petitioner was represented by advocate Tousif Warsi, while the film’s producers and studio were represented by a team of senior advocates, including Ajay Bagadia and HY Mehta. With this legal hurdle removed, Haq is set to hit theatres on November 7, promising to bring a powerful story inspired by a historic case to audiences nationwide.
