A new film revisits Shah Bano — and the change that never came

Jan 12, 2026 | 19:52 IST

(Photo: AI)

Forty years after a landmark Supreme Court verdict, a Hindi film holds up a mirror to the realities Muslim women still face. Reform that was promised, but never fully delivered

The new Hindi film, Haq, inspired by the Shah Bano case, and praised for its sensitive portrayal of a Muslim woman's fight for justice after she is abandoned by her polygamous husband, is an uncomfortable reminder of how much of the old conservative male Muslim "mindset" behind the Bano controversy remains unchanged.

TOI

TOI

A new film revisits Shah Bano — and the change that never came

Forty years after a landmark Supreme Court verdict, a Hindi film holds up a mirror to the realities Muslim women still face. Reform that was promised, but never fully delivered

{{{h1}}}

{{{h1}}}

{{{h3}}}

{{{offerprice}}}

{{{h3}}}

{{{offerprice}}}

{{{h1}}}

{{{h1}}}

{{{h1}}}

{{h2}}

{{{h1}}}

{{h2}}

{{{h1}}}

{{h2}}

Your Privacy is Important to us

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

TOI

A new film revisits Shah Bano — and the change that never came

Forty years after a landmark Supreme Court verdict, a Hindi film holds up a mirror to the realities Muslim women still face. Reform that was promised, but never fully delivered

{{{h1}}}

{{{h1}}}

{{{h3}}}

{{{offerprice}}}

{{{h3}}}

{{{offerprice}}}

{{{h1}}}

{{{h1}}}

{{{h1}}}

{{h2}}

{{{h1}}}

{{h2}}

{{{h1}}}

{{h2}}