The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Siddiqua Begum Khan, the daughter of Shah Bano Begum, seeking to block the release of the upcoming film Haq, starring Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam. The film, inspired by the landmark 1985 Shah Bano maintenance case, is set to release on November 7, and the court has now cleared it for theatrical screening.
Delivering the verdict, Justice Pranay Verma of the Indore bench ruled that the plea suffered from “delay, lack of merit, and absence of due diligence” on the part of the petitioner. “The petitioner did not act immediately but preferred this petition on November 1, 2025 — less than a week before the release of the film, and that too after the grant of the censor certificate,” the court noted. “Her conduct is hence not that of a vigilant litigant. The petition, hence, also suffers from delay and laches.”
The petitioner had argued that Haq unlawfully dramatised and commercialised her late mother’s personal and marital life without permission. She claimed that the film “explicitly dramatises the personal and matrimonial life” of Shah Bano and her husband, and that its depictions were “fabricated, sensationalised, and false.” Siddiqua Begum Khan further contended that this portrayal violated her family’s right to privacy and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. She also asserted that “moral and personality rights” of her mother were inheritable, giving her standing to prevent such representation.
The film’s producers, however, denied the allegations, stating that Haq was a fictional adaptation inspired by the Shah Bano case and not a direct biographical account. Their counsel argued that the film drew inspiration from the book Bano: Bharat ki Beti and the Supreme Court’s historic judgment, but contained fictional characters and events. The defence maintained that the filmmakers were exercising their artistic and creative freedom guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
The court observed that since the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had already granted clearance, there was a legal presumption that due diligence was followed. “The CBFC, being the competent authority, must have considered all relevant factors before certifying the film,” Justice Verma said. The bench further remarked that the petitioner had not approached the Union Government to seek suspension or revocation of the CBFC certificate — a statutory remedy available under the law — before moving the High Court.
Finding the plea to be “devoid of merit,” the court dismissed it, allowing the film’s release to proceed as planned.
The petitioner was represented by advocate Tousif Warsi, while Insomnia Media & Content Services Limited, the film’s co-producer, was represented by advocate H.Y. Mehta, assisted by Pooja Tidke, Monisha Mane Bhangale, and Chandrajit Das of Parinam Law Associates. The studio Junglee Pictures, which co-produced the film, was represented by senior advocate Ajay Bagadia and advocate Ritik Gupta.
With the court’s decision, Haq — which revisits one of India’s most debated legal and social justice battles — is now set for an unhindered nationwide release.
