Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film ‘Haq’, has revealed what drew him to the project. The actor spoke with IANS at a 5-star property in the Juhu area of Mumbai in the run-up to the release of the film, and said that the film has different facets like a woman's voice, truth, justice, betrayal, love and personal faith, which make it a cinematically rich experience both for him as a performer, and for the audience in terms of consumption.
He told IANS, “I found the subject very intriguing because it was about a case that inspired by a case that I have known about probably just on a surface level, I didn't know what the details of this case, I didn't know the emotional story behind this case and this was something that the director and the writer have researched”.
‘Haq’ is inspired from the landmark case of Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum. Shah Bano, a 62-year-old Muslim woman, sought maintenance from her husband after being divorced through triple talaq.
The Supreme Court ruled in her favor under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code, stating that maintenance applies to all citizens irrespective of religion. He further mentioned, “What really drew me in is it says so many things about so many different issues, keeping the core human drama intact, it has a piece on a woman's voice, truth, justice, betrayal and love.
There is a piece and tonality of personal faith and what that means for someone and how when these two things clash, someone's constitutional rights as a citizen and another one as their personal belief and their faith, when these two things clash, it gets very complicated. So that really hit home with me”.
The verdict on Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum case sparked outrage among conservative Muslim groups, who argued that it interfered with Muslim Personal Law. Facing political pressure, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress (INC) government passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, effectively nullifying the judgment and restoring the community’s personal law autonomy.
This move was seen as an attempt to appease conservative Muslim leaders but drew widespread criticism for undermining women’s rights and judicial independence. The case ignited national debate on secularism, minority rights, and the need for a uniform civil code. ‘Haq’ is set to release on November 7, 2025.