Haq Review: This movie stars Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam, and it’s inspired by one of India’s most controversial and powerful legal battles — the Shah Bano Case. Now, here’s the thing: Haq tries hard to be a voice for oppressed Muslim women, but the women who actually need to hear that voice will probably never see it.
When I say the real target audience, I mean women who are uneducated, underprivileged, and trapped in extremely orthodox Muslim communities, the kind where triple talaq is still practiced, despite being outlawed. The irony? Those women won’t ever get to watch this film. And that’s a tragedy in itself.
My Rating: 3.0/5
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Title | Haq |
| Genre | Drama, Social Justice, Courtroom |
| Language | Hindi |
| Release Year | 2025 |
| Director | Suparn Verma |
| Cast | Yami Gautam, Emraan Hashmi |
| Based On | Inspired by the 1985 Mohammad Ahmed Khan vs. Shah Bano Begum case |
| Runtime | Approx. 2 hours 20 minutes |
The Real Story Behind the Film
Haq claims to be inspired by the 1985 Mohammad Ahmed Khan vs. Shah Bano Begum case, a case that shook India’s legal and political system. Shah Bano, a 62-year-old Muslim woman from Indore, was divorced by her husband through triple talaq after 14 years of marriage. He left her and their five children behind without financial support.
She fought for her right to alimony, not just against her husband, but against the weight of religious orthodoxy and political manipulation. And she actually won. The Supreme Court ruled in her favor.
But that victory was short-lived. Rajiv Gandhi’s government, fearing the loss of Muslim votes, overturned the judgment with the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986. In plain words, Shah Bano’s win was erased to protect political interests.
That’s the real story.
Now, let’s talk about what Haq does with it.
What Works in Haq
First off, Yami Gautam is phenomenal. She doesn’t just act, she becomes the soul of this film. Her portrayal of a woman torn apart by faith, law, and betrayal is deeply moving. You feel her silence, her fear, her quiet rage.
Emraan Hashmi plays Mohammad Ahmed Khan with chilling precision, a man who is intelligent, successful, and emotionally detached. You’re supposed to hate him, and you will.
Technically, Haq is well-made. The cinematography captures the claustrophobia of a woman’s shrinking world. The courtroom scenes are engaging, and the emotional beats mostly land.
Where Haq Falls Apart
Here’s where the disappointment kicks in.
The film takes too many creative liberties, and not the good kind. It changes key facts that define the original case. Yami’s character is shown much younger than the real Shah Bano, whose age was crucial to understanding her struggle. Her husband’s second marriage, which in reality involved her own cousin, is rewritten as a dramatic love story from Pakistan.
The film also cuts out the political earthquake that followed the case, Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress government, the Muslim Women’s Act, the betrayal of justice, none of that made it to the screen. That omission is huge. Without it, the entire impact of Shah Bano’s fight gets watered down to a personal sob story.
Instead of being a film about systemic oppression, Haq becomes a simplified emotional drama. Bollywood-style melodrama wins again, and history loses.
Why It Matters
The sad part? This movie could’ve been so much more. Haq had the chance to become a mirror for millions of women who still don’t know that what happened to Shah Bano once could happen to them today.
But instead of sparking awareness, it chooses to play safe, to make the story more “cinematic,” less uncomfortable, and ultimately, less real.
It’s frustrating because you can feel that Yami Gautam gave everything to this role. The problem isn’t her, it’s the storytelling.
Also Read: Dies Irae Review – The Malayalam Horror Everyone’s Calling a Masterpiece (But Is It Really?)
Final Verdict
Watch Haq for the performances, especially Yami’s. But don’t expect it to teach you the truth about Shah Bano or what she fought for. If you already know the case, you’ll walk out angry, not because the film is bad, but because it plays with a piece of history that deserved honesty, not decoration.
The Good & Bad
| Good | Bad |
|---|---|
| Strong foundation inspired by a real case | Twisted facts and missing political truth |
| Yami Gautam’s career-best role | Emraan’s character feels underwritten |
| Emotionally and well-acted | Weak research, overdramatized writing |
| Adds depth to emotional moments | Overused in heavy scenes |
| Raises awareness on women’s rights | Fails to reach the right audience |
| Emotional and well-acted | Historically inaccurate and diluted |
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Haq is a beautifully acted, technically sound, but morally confused film. It wants to speak for women’s rights, yet it silences the truth of the very woman who inspired it.
If Bollywood ever decides to make another movie on Shah Bano, I hope they have the courage to show her story the way it really happened, raw, painful, and politically explosive. Because that is the film India, and the world, truly needs.
