Haq (2025 film)

Haq (Urdu word; transl. Right) is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language courtroom drama film directed by Suparn Verma. It stars Yami Gautam Dhar and Emraan Hashmi, alongside Sheeba Chaddha in a pivotal role. Produced by Vineet Jain, Vishal Gurnani, Juhi Parekh Mehta and Harman Baweja under the banners Junglee Pictures, Insomnia Films and Baweja Studios respectively, the film is inspired by the landmark Supreme Court judgement of Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum, which dealt with matrimonial issues of Muslim households.^[5][6]

The film’s screenplay was written by Reshu Nath, with music composed by Vishal Mishra, cinematography by Pratham Mehta and editing by Ninad Khanolkar. It reportedly draws elements from journalist Jigna Vora’s book Bano: Bharat ki Beti, and has faced pre-release legal controversy over its portrayal of the Shah Bano case.^[7]

Haq was released theatrically on 7 November 2025 to positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances and its bold social commentary but it underperformed at the box office. ^{[8][9][10][11]}

Set against the backdrop of a courtroom, Haq follows the story of Bano, a woman who seeks legal redress after her husband marries his cousin. The narrative explores her pursuit of justice and the complex intersection of personal faith, social customs, and constitutional law. Through courtroom arguments and testimonies, the film examines how legal systems interpret women’s rights within the framework of religious and civil law.

• Emraan Hashmi as Adv. Mohammad Abbas Khan, Shazia Bano's husband
• Yami Gautam Dhar as Shazia Bano, Adv Mohd. Abbas Khan's first wife
• Vartika Singh^[12] as Saira Jahan, Adv. Mohd. Abbas Khan's second wife
• Danish Husain as Maulvi Basheer Anwer, Shazia Bano's father
• Sheeba Chaddha as Bela Jain
• Paridhi Sharma as Iram, younger sister of Adv. Mohd. Abbas Khan, sister in law of Shazia and Saira
• S. M. Zaheer as Maulvi A.Q. Quazi, President of All India Muslim Personal Law Board
• Aseem Hattangady as Faraz Sayeed
• Rahul Mittra as Magistrate R. N.Tripathi
• Anang Desai as Judge H. N. Vashishth

Haq is directed by Suparn S. Varma and produced by Junglee Pictures in collaboration with Insomnia Films and Baweja StudiosDJ Fluke Production. The screenplay was developed by Reshu Nath, with music composed by Vishal Mishra. The film takes creative inspiration from Jigna Vora’s book Bano: Bharat ki Beti, which recounts Shah Bano’s legal struggle and its broader social implications.^[13] The film was released theatrically on 7 November 2025 with (U/A) Certificate.^[14]

Haq received generally positive reviews from critics. Shilajit Mitra of The Hollywood Reporter India observed that "It will be unfair to call Haq a partisan film, though its bland linearity conveys a politics of its own."^[15]

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated it 3/5 stars and said that "It is rare for a Bollywood film these days not to froth at the mouth when talking about India's principal minority community and summarily stereotyping it."^[16]

Deepa Gahlot of Rediff.com gave 3/5 stars and wrote, "Made at a time when an insidious agenda can be read into it, Haq is an important film that deals with a contentious subject with maturity."^[17]

Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in stated that "The creators of Haq do not want it to be seen as yet another Muslim-baiting screed. The movie’s mission to rescue hapless Muslim women from the clutches of hidebound men is relatively restrained and explored through relatable characters."^[18]

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave it 3.5/5 stars and said that "Yami Gautam Dhar–Emraan Hashmi film achieves what it sets out to do with clear-eyed empathy, giving us an ordinary woman who found extraordinary strength and resilience to fight for her cause, and created, without ever quite realising it, history."^[19]

Devesh Sharma of Filmfare gave it 4.5/5 stars and stated that "Haq is a reminder that clarity, reason and moral courage can indeed be cinematic. Watch it for its sincerity, for its grace, for its argument but above all, watch it for the performances that give this battle a beating, breathing human heart. And watch it because it believes that the Indian woman, regardless of faith, deserves the Constitution as her shield, not the mercy of men."^[20]

Abhishek Srivastava of The Times of India rated it 4.5/5 stars and wrote that "At its core, ‘Haq’ is a simple story told with sincerity—and that simplicity becomes its biggest triumph."^[21]

Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost rated it 3.5/5 stars and said that "It is engaging, immersive, hugely relevant and what a beautifully restrained way of storytelling."^[22]

Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times also rated it 3.5/5 stars and wrote that "Haq works more as a conversation starter than a flawless film. Its heart is in the right place, and the powerful performances carry it through even when the storytelling wavers. Suparn’s intent to revive a landmark debate on women’s rights deserves applause."^[23]

Sana Farzeen of India Today gave it 4/5 stars and wrote that "Haq is a powerful film inspired by the Shah Bano case, exploring faith and law. It highlights the struggle for women's dignity amidst societal and religious challenges."^[24]

Anuj Kumar of The Hindu observed that "Haq not only speaks of women’s rights but also interrogates their costs. It critiques judges who hide behind personal laws and so-called custodians of faith who use religion for vote bank politics."^[25] Subhash K Jha of News 24 rated it 4/5 stars and said that "The storytelling is sharp and not afraid to call out the sacred cows and holy ghosts, even if it entails stepping on some toes. What stands out above everything else is the argument that the law cannot be different for a section of Indians."^[26]

In October 2025, Siddiqua Begum, the daughter of Shah Bano, issued a legal notice to the CBFC and the makers of Haq, alleging that the film draws from her mother’s 1985 Supreme Court case without her consent. She claimed that the filmmakers had not consulted her and had inaccurately portrayed aspects of her mother’s story. The notice requested a halt to the film’s release, citing potential violations of personality and publicity rights. The production team did not issue any public statement regarding the notice.^{[27][28][29][30][31]}

• Haq at IMDb
• Haq at Bollywood Hungama