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In 1978, a woman named Shah Bano filed a petition in a court in Indore. She sought maintenance from her divorced husband, Mohammed Ahmad Khan, a well-known lawyer and the ruling became a landmark in Indian law. The upcoming movie HAQ, starring Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi in lead roles, is based on the famous Shah Bano Case. But, who was Shah Bano begum and what led her under such circumstances?

Who was Shah Bano Begum?

Shah Bano Begum was a 62-year-old Muslim woman from Indore, India. Her case sparked a nationwide debate on women's rights, secularism and the conflict between religious personal laws and the Indian secular legal code.

Shah Bano filed a petition in Indore court in April 1978, asking for maintenance from her divorced husband, Mohammed Ahmad Khan, with whom she had tied the knot in 1931. The duo have five children together – three sons and two daughters. However, after 14 years of marriage, Khan married another women and abandoned Shah Bano. The later filed a petition for maintenance under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973. This came because Khan had stopped paying the Rs 200 per month he had promised her.

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Later, in 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in her favour. It stated that she should get maintenance under the CrPC beyond the iddat period. The court also noted the lack of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Though the verdict was issued but it received opposition from conservative Muslim groups, seeing which the passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986. The Shah Bano case brought the issue of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) into sharp national focus and led to significant legal changes in India, such as the 2019 ban on instant triple talaq, even though Shah Bano herself eventually dropped the case under pressure.

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Why did Shah Bano draw her case?

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), viewed the Supreme Court's ruling as an "attack" on Sharia law and an interference in their religious personal laws. Also the judgement led to widespread protests by conservative Muslims across the country, who chanted slogans like "Shariat bachao" (save Sharia law). Shah Bano Begum was pressurised by the members of her own community. Her son later described the ordeal as "a fight for self-respect." If the reports are to be believed, she was forced to believe that accepting maintenance under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) went against Islamic principles.

About HAQ: Haq is set to release in theatres on 7th November 2025, directed by one of the most dynamic directors today in the industry Suparn S Varma (creator of Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, The Family Man, Rana Naidu) and written by Reshu Nath. In addition to Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam, the cast of Haq includes Vartika Singh, Danish Husain, Sheeba Chadha, and Aseem Hattangady in prominent roles. The film is directed by Suparn S Varma and is produced by Vineet Jain, Vishal Gurnani, Juhi Parekh Mehta and Harman Baweja. It is scheduled to release in theatres on November 7.

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