MUMBAI: (This year marks four decades since the landmark 1985 Supreme Court verdict in Mohd. Ahmad Khan v. Shah Bano Begum — one of India’s most celebrated and controversial judgments)
Uniform Civil Code. Waqf Board. Triple Talaq. Shah Bano. These words aren’t just headlines — they’re echoes from one of India’s most fiercely debated court cases. A case that fractured public opinion, tested the nation’s secular fabric, and lit the spark for one of the longest-running debates in modern Indian history: equality versus identity.
And now, 40 years later, the story is set to return — this time, to the big screen.
There is a news around that powerful feature film inspired by the Shah Bano case — and others like it — is in the works, directed by Suparn Verma. Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi headline the cast, and sources reveal that the film recently wrapped shoot in Lucknow. The untitled project is expected to be Yami’s next major theatrical release after Article 370 — and is poised to dive deep into the human cost of legal battles that become national flashpoints.
In 1978, 62-year-old Shah Bano, a mother of five, approached the Supreme Court under Section 125 CrPC, seeking maintenance after being divorced via triple talaq by her lawyer husband, Mohd. Ahmad Khan, who cited Muslim Personal Law to deny support beyond the three-months for her and their children.
After a 7-year legal battle, the Court ruled in her favour in 1985, stating that Section 125 applied to all citizens, ensuring a divorced woman’s right to maintenance regardless of religion — a landmark verdict in the fight for gender justice and constitutional equality.
The ruling sparked backlash from conservative groups, leading the Rajiv Gandhi government to pass the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, diluting the verdict. The episode reignited debates on vote-bank politics, UCC, and secularism — themes that remain relevant even today.
Leaders like PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah continue to reference Shah Bano as a turning point in the discourse around Uniform Civil Code and legal reforms.
Shah Bano’s voice was once heard in the hallowed halls.
Four decades on, that voice is returning — louder, braver, and this time, on screen.
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