Star Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Yami Gautam Dhar, Aseem Hattangady, Danish Husain, Sheeba Chaddha, Vartika Singh
Director: Suparn Varma
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What’s Bad: The atmospherics could have been more intense!
Loo Break: Not really!
Watch or Not?: Recommended, overall
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 136 Minutes
User Rating:
Inspired by the Shah Bano case that made headlines and generated controversy in the 1980s, leading to the earliest demand for the abolition of triple talaq and a Uniform Civil Code, the story sets the beginning of the film in 1967 and comes up with a part-fictionalized account of a woman named Shazia Bano (Yami Gautam Dhar), who is divorced by advocate Abbas Khan (Emraan Hashmi) when she leaves home with her three children. This is done as she has come to know that the second marriage he has solemnized with Saira (Vartika Singh) was not out of humanitarian grounds for a young widow, as claimed by him, but out of love for Saira. The couple was in love before Shazia came into Abbas’ life, but was married to a man who would ill-treat her.
Angry at being told a series of canards, Shazia goes to stay with her parents, and Abbas sends her Rs. 400 a month for their three children. When he stops paying the sum, Shazia protests, and an irascible Abbas pays her a lump sum and declares “Talaq talaq talaq”. He thus tells her that, as there is no longer anything between them, he is not eligible to pay her anything. In vain, Shazia and her supportive father try to approach a kazi (Arun Marwah), but he castigates them instead.
Left with no alternative but to fight, Shazia moves to court. The technicalities make the earliest battles tough as she faces a hostile situation from all sides. What follows, along with the ploys employed by Abbas, makes for an engaging story as the court case drags on, spanning seven years from the local court to the High Court and finally the Supreme Court.
Writer Reshu Nath focuses on the issues and does not divert attention, but a few sequences (unless they actually occurred in real life) seem slightly incongruous. For example, Shazia’s father’s funeral is attended by Abbas. The stigma Shazia faces is also typical for her neighborhood, but strangely, her Muslim lawyer, Faraaz Ansari (Aseem Hattangady), never has any problems from the hardliners in his community. A loophole is the fact that Abbas had earlier willed his property to Shazia, and that decision is not revoked, so that issue is left hanging in the air.
On the other hand, the incident of Saira’s volte-face and the vegetables sequence, and Shazia’s final outburst in the Supreme Court are powerfully written and executed sequences, as is the shopping scene where Shazia takes Saira to buy what she needs. The way Shazia comes to know the truth about her husband and his second wife is very impactful.
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By now, Yami Gautam Dhar is synonymous with powerful essays of purposeful protagonists in all kinds of narratives, and Haq finds her in top fettle. Most of her films have a subtle or overt social message, and this one is no different. Her performance, with pitch-perfect expressions and body language, is a compelling watch, as usual, whether it’s a breezy Dhoom Dhaam or an intense Article 370. Again, she puts in the same (and effortless) intensity into this character, having recently told the media that this is one of those movies that “resonate” with her own beliefs.
Emraan Hashmi is in the gray-black zone again, but his role could have been sculpted better. As Abbas Khan, this otherwise natural actor often ends up looking flummoxed rather than scheming and confused rather than self-centered. He is also more than a little tepid in the triple talaq sequence. Vartika Singh as Saira has a limited role but makes an impression.
Sheeba Chaddha is her usual, effortless self, though Anang Desai is quite stony-faced as the Supreme Court judge. Danish Husain impresses as Shazia’s Muslim father. But the most impressive is Aseem Hattangady as Shazia’s fiercely yet quietly supportive lawyer. I liked the actress who played Shazia’s mother, while the other supporting actors are alright for their roles.
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In films, Suparn Varma gets into serious cinema for the first time, and it’s a promising start (in this genre) for this one-time journalist who ventured into writing and filmmaking. The film could have had a high-voltage impact, though (one remembers the impact of Mulk as far as Muslim-based stories go), and been more hard-hitting. As mentioned above, some sequences seem out of place in the dramatization.
Vishal Mishra’s songs sound okay within the film, lacking staying power and thus the punch to elevate the narration. However, Kaushal Kishore’s lyrics are not only in sync but also simple and meaningful. Sandeep Chowta’s background score is alright.
As a saga of courage, human dignity, and the deliberately maintained ‘debate’ between religion and law, Haq emerges as a thought-provoking drama on how religious texts can be misinterpreted. It provokes questioning on religious and social equality, and for that alone, it needs to be watched.
Three and a half stars!
Haq releases on 07th November, 2025.
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