<p>One of the Supreme Court judgments whose fallout changed the course of Indian history, in a regressive way, has now made it to the big screen through ‘Haq’ (Right). Though the events in the film don’t strictly adhere to the facts of the case, the filmmaker reflects on the popular opinion of <br>the case.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Haq’ opens with a traditional Muslim marriage of Shazia Bano (Yami Gautam) and Abbas Khan (Emraan Hashmi). Abbas, a successful lawyer, and Shazia, a homemaker, enjoy a peaceful life with their three children— for a brief time. When love fades without apparent reason, Abbas brings home a second wife, leaving Shazia shocked and heartbroken. Though she initially accepts the situation, she eventually leaves Abbas and returns to her father’s house. Abbas, who had been providing monthly maintenance, abruptly stops it. Supported by her father, Shazia challenges her husband in a general court for alimony — a claim widely assumed to fall under Sharia law. The courtroom drama explores what happens next.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The film, which tries to depict a slice of history, struggles on several fronts. It limits the case to the struggle of a Muslim woman for alimony, and fails to bring in the larger social context which influenced this case and even led to further consequences. With director Supran Verma taking the liberty to deviate from the actual events of the real-life case, the film fails to have a sharper critique of patriarchy. It misses the opportunity to confront prevailing gender norms of Indian society. The film also lacks emotional depth — apart from a few scenes of the children resenting their father (Abbas), the inner lives of all the characters, except Shazia’s, fall flat. Even the courtroom scenes lack intensity.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In the end, the film connects this case to the BJP government banning triple Talaq. This makes it look like the exploration of a larger social context including that of the Muslim community was deliberately avoided. In today’s polarised times, a cursory understanding of the Uniform Civil Code is used as a political tool against minorities instead of bringing a structural change in society. It cannot be assumed that films like ‘Haq’ are innocent in their portrayal of history. </p>
<p>One of the Supreme Court judgments whose fallout changed the course of Indian history, in a regressive way, has now made it to the big screen through ‘Haq’ (Right). Though the events in the film don’t strictly adhere to the facts of the case, the filmmaker reflects on the popular opinion of <br>the case.</p>.<p class="bodytext">‘Haq’ opens with a traditional Muslim marriage of Shazia Bano (Yami Gautam) and Abbas Khan (Emraan Hashmi). Abbas, a successful lawyer, and Shazia, a homemaker, enjoy a peaceful life with their three children— for a brief time. When love fades without apparent reason, Abbas brings home a second wife, leaving Shazia shocked and heartbroken. Though she initially accepts the situation, she eventually leaves Abbas and returns to her father’s house. Abbas, who had been providing monthly maintenance, abruptly stops it. Supported by her father, Shazia challenges her husband in a general court for alimony — a claim widely assumed to fall under Sharia law. The courtroom drama explores what happens next.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The film, which tries to depict a slice of history, struggles on several fronts. It limits the case to the struggle of a Muslim woman for alimony, and fails to bring in the larger social context which influenced this case and even led to further consequences. With director Supran Verma taking the liberty to deviate from the actual events of the real-life case, the film fails to have a sharper critique of patriarchy. It misses the opportunity to confront prevailing gender norms of Indian society. The film also lacks emotional depth — apart from a few scenes of the children resenting their father (Abbas), the inner lives of all the characters, except Shazia’s, fall flat. Even the courtroom scenes lack intensity.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In the end, the film connects this case to the BJP government banning triple Talaq. This makes it look like the exploration of a larger social context including that of the Muslim community was deliberately avoided. In today’s polarised times, a cursory understanding of the Uniform Civil Code is used as a political tool against minorities instead of bringing a structural change in society. It cannot be assumed that films like ‘Haq’ are innocent in their portrayal of history. </p>