'Haq' Movie Review: Yami Gautam, Emraan Hashmi’s brilliant performances in a nail-biting takedown of patriarchy

Language: Hindi

Director: Suparn S Varma

Cast: Yami Gautam, Emraan Hashmi, Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, Sheeba Chadha, Aseem Hattangady

No more scars! And why do I say that? It is because of Abbas Khan’s (Emraan Hashmi) treatment towards Shazia Bano (Yami Gautam). Directed by Suparn Verma, Haq is a fiercely gripping story of a mother’s fight against the system and society. This provocative drama is inspired from the Shah Bano case. But the film is not just a courtroom narrative, it is much more than that. It’s a human story which is hugely  relevant in today’s time.

When Shazia Bano ( Yami Gautam) gets married to Abbas Khan’s (Emraan Hashmi) and steps into the kitchen for the first time, she realises that there are three pressure cookers kept them. When she questions the domestic help about that, she says that Abbas doesn’t believe in mending old things. So, anything that becomes old is quickly replaced in Abbas Khan’s house. Metaphorically, in real life too, when Shazia delivered her third child she was quickly replaced by another woman. The relationship became strained even before that and he started distancing himself from her. But Shazia Bano’s ( Yami Gautam) husband remarrying was the last straw.

Yami Gautam’s performance as Shazia Bano is brilliant and she did absolute justice to the role. Emraan Hashmi too played his role perfectly with no overacting and no melodrama. The best thing about Haq is that it doesn’t scream for attention. The storytelling is mature and balanced. Never once will you feel that the script is thinning down.

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In fact, the whole relationship between Abbas Khan’s (Emraan Hashmi) and Shazia Bano (Yami Gautam) was based on a lie. Shazia Bano was like a rebound in Abbas Khan’s life. He had a childhood affair with his paternal aunt’s daughter which didn’t materialise as she was married off to another man. And apparently the man that Abbas’s second wife was married off to used to beat her up regularly. When his aunt dies, Abbas and his mother promised that they will take care of her. And hence she was brought into the house as his second wife.

Produced by Junglee Pictures in association with Insomnia Films and Baweja Studios,  _Haq_ is inspired by a landmark Supreme Court judgment. . The debate in the film may have begun in the 1980s, but it is hugely relevant even today. A relentless conflict between personal belief and secular law, the film is a nail-biting takedown of patriarchy. The best thing is director Suparn S Varma had handled this topic with a lot of maturity.

Why I say it is relevant in today’s world is because Abbas Khan’s (Emraan Hashmi) is shown to be a gentleman. He will not abuse a woman or will beat up his wife. But he will scar you emotionally and kill you mentally for life. He is educated, sophisticated and well mannered. Abbas is a kind of gentleman from the outside, but manipulative, cunning and dominating from within. He will not raise his voice, but he will do things the way he wants to do and is insensitive towards other’s feelings. The film shows the clash of egos and here I must say it is a tough battle in the courtroom between Abbas Khan’s (Emraan Hashmi) and Shazia Bano (Yami Gautam) because Khan is a well-known lawyer and Bano knows the Quran like the back of her hand.

Their collision in the courtroom becomes a national debate on identity, love, and gender ideology. Shazia Bano (Yami Gautam) fights like a tigress for her right, her ‘Haq’ for maintenance from her husband. She fought for herself, her children and most importantly her dignity. She stood up with her head held high against a system built to protect men and she won. Her battle and her win were a historic event.

In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in Shah Bano’s favour granting her lifelong maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC – a secular law that applies to all citizens. It was indeed a landmark moment for Muslim women’s right and renewed the debate for Uniform Civil Code.

The movie shines in all aspects; whether it is the mature storytelling, the cinematography, or the performances of each and every actor, it is absolutely perfect with the right dose of sensibility. On the whole, Haq is definitely worth every bit of your time!

Rating: 3 and half out of 5

WATCH the trailer of ‘Haq’ movie here: