Emraan Hashmi defends Haq amid controversy; 'As a liberal Muslim, I can say...'

Emraan Hashmi has finally broken the silence on the growing controversy around his forthcoming film Haq. The Murder actor has clarified that the film does not target the Muslim community. Starring Yami Gautam alongside Emraan, this courtroom drama is inspired by the landmark 1985 Shah Bano case.

Emraan Hashmi on the controversy

The movie landed into controversy after the makers released the trailer. “I read the script of this film, I saw it from the perspective of a creative actor, but for the first time in my career, I had to see that there is a sensitivity regarding a community, regarding my community,” the actor said to ANI.

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Responding to the intense discussion, he further added, " I have to be a little cognisant and analyse it in a different way. What I have extrapolated from this film is that there is a very balanced point of view. We are not pointing a finger at any community or passing a judgment."

Emraan Hashmi emphasized that Haq has no intention to hurt sentiments, “As a liberal Muslim, I can say that I had no problems with the viewpoint of the film. Because we are not maligning any community. If we were, I wouldn’t have done this film.”

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Inspired by the 1985 Shah Bano case

Haq, directed by Suparn S Varma, takes inspiration from the extraordinary struggle of Shah Bano, a Muslim woman who stood for her rights and fought for alimony against her husband. The Supreme Court gave a landmark judgment in favour of Shah Bano that triggered protests from conservative groups.

Highlighting the concept of the film, Emraan Hashmi states, "Shah Bano said, 'Mai Musalman hu hindustani aurat hu pehle (I’m Muslim, but I’m an Indian before that)' and 'I should get my maintenance under secular law and constitutional law. Beyond Muslim personal law'. It became a landmark case; Shah Bano was fighting for a lot of women, for different generations to come."

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Legal troubles for Haq

The film also landed in legal trouble after Shah Bano’s daughter, Siddiqua Begum, filed an official complaint against the makers. As per reports, she alleges that her mother’s personal story was used without family consent, and the notice demanded that the release be halted until clarification on how the story is showcased.

Siddiqua Begum's lawyer allegedly claims that the family was unaware of the portrayal and insisted that the script be shared.

Cast and release date

The movie stars Yami Gautam as Shah Bano, opposite Emraan Hashmi. Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, Sheeba Chadha, and Aseem Hattangady are also playing major characters in it. Produced by Vineet Jain, Vishal Gurnani, Juhi Parekh Mehta, and Harman Baweja, Haq is slated to hit theatres on November 7, 2025.