Glass ceiling for women still the same: 'Haq' director Suparn S Varma on depicting Shah Bano case

Mumbai, Nov 8 (PTI) Filmmaker Suparn S Varma says though the society frequently discusses issues faced by various marginalised groups, the largest "backward class" continues to be women as gender discrimination cuts across class, religion and geography.

Varma, known for his work on popular OTT series such as "The Trial" and "Rana Naidu", has directed "Haq", a courtroom drama inspired by the Shah Bano Begum case of 1985.

The film, starring Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi in the lead roles, released in theatres across the country on Friday and received rave reviews from the critics.

The director said "Haq" is fundamentally about a woman’s fight for dignity, self-respect and basic human rights in a system that is structurally biased against her.

"She is fighting a system that is already preordained, while trying to claim her existence and place in society as a woman. We talk about many marginalised groups, but the unfortunate truth is that the largest ‘backward class’ in the world is still women," Varma told PTI in an interview, "Haq" dramatises the events surrounding the landmark Mohd Ahmed Khan vs Shah Bano Begum case, as depicted in Jigna Vora’s book “Bano: Bharat Ki Beti”.

The legal battle started in 1978 when Shah Bano was divorced by her lawyer husband and reached the Supreme Court in 1985. It ended with a judgment by a five-judge Constitution bench of the apex court that ruled that Muslim women were also entitled to maintenance under the law.

The film features Yami Gautam as Shazia Bano and Hashmi as her husband, lawyer Abbas Khan.

Varma said even though the story is set in the 1970s and 80s, its themes remain relevant.

"There is a saying that 'the more things change, the more they remain the same'. The situation is still the same. The same thing is happening with women (today). They are fighting with the same glass ceiling. They are fighting with the same biases. The same ‘Haq’, the basic human rights.

"The difference between a man and a woman is still the same. These are issues that pervade the whole world and this is the story of Shazia Bano,” he added.

The director praised the film's lead actor Gautam for her dedication, saying that she has given her career’s best performance.

“You have seen many of her films, she has a style of walking and speaking. She reinvented everything about her to create the character of Shazia Bano. She became Bano on set. For the 32 days we were on set, we didn't see Yami. We only saw Shazia Bano.

“I think it’s her career best performance so far. From here she will go higher and higher. It is very special what she has created,” he said.

Varma said the film’s climax features a powerful nine-minute monologues from each of its lead characters, and he feels fortunate to have Gautam and Hashmi delivering those moments.

"It took me 6 months to write with my writer. We were writing till the last minute. Thankfully, I am blessed to have Yami and Emraan... We have shot both monologues in one take. When it was over, everyone was applauding.

"It was their tension and we had to capture it. The preparation took months for them and the essence of the film comes in the Supreme Court (sequence). If you fail there, you have failed the final test. The job they have done was amazing,” he said.

"Haq", produced by Junglee Pictures, in association with Insomnia Films and Baweja Studios, also stars Vartika Singh, Sheeba Chaddha and Danish Husain. PTI SSG RB RB MAH MAH