*HAQ Director Suparn S Varma Praises Yami Gautam Dhar’s Dedication as Shazia Bano, Reveals She Shot for 32 Days Without Break*
Filmmaker Suparn S Varma is back on the big screens with a powerful story ‘HAQ’, a film inspired by the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court on Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum case. Starring Emraan Hashmi, Yami Gautam Dhar and Vartika Singh in their power-packed roles so far, the film’s trailer has sparked significant buzz, setting the stage for its much-awaited release.
Beyond a courtroom drama, HAQ also highlights themes of justice, faith, and equality. Speaking about the inspiration behind the film, Varma said, “When my writer Reshu Nath and I started writing and researching, our strength came from the fact that this is a film that needs to be made and talked about. Because these issues, like Emraan rightly pointed out, have been relevant for decades and still are.”
He added, “It’s time we start having conversations and bring them out. We come from a place of honesty, love, and respect for all our brothers and sisters. And when you come from that space, the audience instantly feels the truth in your story.”
He also praised Yami Gautam Dhar’s conviction and dedication as Shazia Bano. “Yami was a new mother who did not go home even for a single day. For 32 days on set, she didn’t say a single word. On the last day, when I took her final reaction, I saw her smiling as Yami Gautam, not Shazia Bano. That’s when I realized what she had poured into this performance,” he shared.
Praising Emraan Hashmi, he added, “Emraan has done so many films; he could easily walk in with overconfidence. But I’ve never met an actor who treats every single day like his first. Both Yami and Emraan came to set like students: hungry, curious, fearless. That energy is infectious. When every person on set is giving their 100%, magic happens.”
Talking about the film’s crux, the director shared, “When you take up a story that challenges the idea of romance, of what a marriage means, the drama begins, and that’s where the truth lies. It’s about a man’s belief in what he wants, and a woman’s right to dignity and self-respect. These are fundamental questions in every relationship, in every society. And that’s the journey we’ve tried to capture.”
Produced by Junglee Pictures, in association with Insomnia Films and Baweja Studios, HAQ is 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. It also stars actors Sheeba Chaddha, Danish Hussain, Vartika Singh and Aseem Hattangady, and is scheduled to release in theatres on 7th November 2025.
