‘I do not know what individuals will say, however as a liberal Muslim I can say that I had no issues with the point of view of the movie. As a result of we aren’t maligning any neighborhood, if we had been, I would not have finished this movie…’

IMAGE: Emraan Hashmi in Haq.

Emraan Hashmi says his upcoming movie Haq attracts inspiration from the historic 1985 Shah Bano case, describing it as a narrative that displays a steadiness between private religion and constitutional legislation. He additionally famous that the film was not meant to “malign” any neighborhood or faith and talks about girls’s rights and dignity.

He mentioned, “Perhaps the youthful era would not know a lot about this case. The movie is impressed by the 1985 Shah Bano case, wherein Ahmed Khan divorced Shah Bano, who then fought for her dignity within the periods courtroom, the excessive courtroom, and the Supreme Courtroom after her husband stopped her upkeep.”

He added, “Shah Bano mentioned ‘Mein mussalman hoon, lekin hindustani aurat hoon pehle’ and ‘I ought to get my upkeep beneath secular legislation and constitutional legislation past Muslim private legislation’. It grew to become a landmark case; Shah Bano was combating for lots of ladies, for various generations to return.

“So even then, the nation was divided on this argument. As a result of on one aspect was the legislation of faith. On the opposite aspect was the secular, all-encompassing constitutional legislation for each citizen. Clearly, the decision that got here, we’ve to just accept it. However there’s all the time a tilt. {That a} private legislation can be a sacred and sacrosanct to a faith. So it was a really fascinating story. And it was based mostly on that.”

 

IMAGE: Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam in Haq.

Emraan emphasised that the movie’s function is to not kind any opinion. “It is a movie the place, whenever you step out of the theatre, we’ll discover it’s pro-women and we’ve raised the difficulty for his or her dignity, for his or her equality of rights.

“However on the identical time, when you really feel that throughout the closing monologue and the movie, Ahmed bhi Abbas bhi jo apne nazariye se ki jo setting mein pala bada tha jo uski conditioning thi vo sahi tha apni taraf toh humne apna kaam kar liya… So we aren’t judging anybody on this movie.

“We’re not pointing fingers. We now have simply proven you the case in a really unbiased means. After which it’s as much as you as to the way you step out of the theatre,” he defined.

The actor, who is thought for movies similar to Homicide, Hamari Adhuri Kahani and Jannat, amongst others, shared that he approached the story with sensitivity.

“I learn the script of this movie, I noticed it from the attitude of a inventive actor, however for the primary time in my profession, I needed to see that there’s a sensitivity concerning a neighborhood, concerning my neighborhood. I’ve to be somewhat cognisant, and I’ve to analyse it another way. What I’ve extrapolated from this movie is that there’s a very balanced viewpoint. So we aren’t speaking about something, we aren’t pointing a finger at a neighborhood or passing a judgment,” he mentioned.

Hashmi mentioned that the movie didn’t “malign” or goal any neighborhood. “I do not know what individuals will say, however as a liberal Muslim, I can say that I had no issues with the point of view of the movie. As a result of we aren’t maligning any neighborhood, if we had been I would not have finished this movie…

“And simply to present a viewpoint of the type of Muslim I’m, I married Parveen, who’s a Hindu. Meri household mein mere bete puja bhi karte hai, namaaz bhi padhte hai. That is my secular upbringing. So from my viewpoint, I’m watching this movie. Everybody watches a movie in accordance with their conditioning, spiritual tenets, upbringing, setting, and viewpoint.”

IMAGE: Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam in Haq.

Urging viewers to look at the movie, he mentioned, “Not simply the Muslim neighborhood. After all, they need to see it. Ladies ought to see it. It is a story of a girl’s voice. It is a story of equality. It is a story of a sure proper to dignity. It is a story for males as nicely.

“I feel these biases that males have in a patriarchal society, that we predict it is a man’s world, and we’ll do no matter we are able to, and it prices a girl her dignity. That has been mirrored on this movie. If you happen to introspect on that, you will discover worth on this movie. For males as nicely.”

Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam are set to convey a real story from the ’80s to the display screen in Haq, which focuses on the well-known 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 upkeep case, because it was identified, was thought of a authorized milestone within the battle for the safety of the rights of Muslim girls in India.

In 1978, Shah Bano (62) filed a petition within the Indore courtroom, in search of upkeep from her divorced husband, Mohammed Ahmed Khan, an prosperous and well-known lawyer.

In 1985, the Supreme Courtroom dominated that Shah Bano was entitled to upkeep. Nonetheless, a yr later, the Rajiv Gandhi authorities introduced in laws to overturn the courtroom verdict.

Directed by Suparn S Varma, Haq additionally options Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, Sheeba Chadha, and Aseem Hattangady in distinguished roles.

Made beneath the banner of Junglee Footage, the movie is produced by Vineet Jain, Vishal Gurnani, Juhi Parekh Mehta, and Harman Baweja. It’s going to hit theatres on November 7, 2025.

Images curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff