Haq: Yami Gautam, Emraan Hashmi Break New Ground With Powerful Performances In Junglee Pictures Film

Haq, often used in regions where Urdu and Hindi are widely spoken, is a word that’s simple yet powerful. The term means ‘right’, and the weight that this casually said word carries is as mighty as a pen.

Giving ‘haq’ a new meaning and a different perspective, Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam Dhar stand as solid opposites in Suparn S Varma’s directorial of the same name. When the story is impactful, inspiring and deeply rooted in Indian history, the actors needed to bring those characters alive have to be undeniably invested in the craft of acting and sink into the role to absorb the characteristics. Emraan and Yami surrender themselves to the story of a landmark Supreme Court decision that changed laws and policies in the country. Haq is the story of Shazia Bano, the daughter of a Maulvi, who marries Abbas Khan, an eminent lawyer. Though her worldly knowledge and education are poor, she is rich because of her understanding of Sharia, the Islamic religious law based on the Quran and Hadith. When Abbas remarries and brings Saira to live with them, Shazia goes back to her roots to tackle the legal crisis. More than the victory of the character, Haq celebrates women, their resilience and the power of education.

ALSO READ: Haq Movie Review: Emraan Hashmi, Yami Gautam's Roaring Appeal For Justice Is Thought-Provoking Through Shazia, Yami becomes the voice of millions of women who struggle to stand up for their rights and call out injustice. For society, a perfect woman means a person who can stay quiet, never go against her husband, even when he looks down upon her. Going against the tide when women were not allowed to speak publicly around men, Shazia doesn’t hold back. She is insulted, boycotted and shamed by neighbours for raising an alarm. On paper, it is a layered character and execution-wise, it has to be dealt sensitively and Yami does it effortlessly. Switching between vulnerable and fierce, Yami’s study of Shazia’s character scores full marks. In the first scene where she meets her to-be husband Abbas, the innocence and excitement fill the heart with love. When her heart breaks, it leaves a dent on the other side, too. While Abbas’ grey-toned character has its own reasons, the final emotional verdict is in Shazia’s favour. Yami excels in the Supreme Court and Muslim Law Board monologues. Her confrontation scene with Vartika Singh’s Saira, which changes her perspective about Abbas, has a separate fanbase. Every minute nuances, like Shazia’s helplessness, angst, frustration, and fatigue, get their due credit with Yami portraying them flawlessly. It is an award-winning performance for sure, but beyond that, it is a wake-up call to all those women who have been suffering in silence. Akkha Bollywood Ek Tarah Aur Emraan Hashmi Ek Taraf. This is a dialogue for eternity. Abbas isn’t a likeable character. Being a lawyer, he is great at manipulation and presenting a great defence act not just in front of the judge, but his family. Emraan is a charming actor. His ability to slip into any character is praiseworthy. With Abbas, the actor was required not to judge his deeds and convince the audience that his side of the story is also right. Hashmi manages it and delivers a knockout performance. If you feel like slapping Abbas, you’re not the only one!

Without making his monologues preachy, Emraan surprises when he takes a stand against laws that don’t favour other genders. While Yami’s character raises her concerns, Hashmi attempts to present Abbas’ perspective neutrally. When Emraan reinvents, the audience gets to see a completely new side to him. Hating Abbas isn’t disrespectful to Emraan, as this is his victory. Haq’s monologues are brilliantly executed by both actors. Setting new standards for other courtroom dramas, Yami and Emraan’s efforts to modify their dialect, studying legal terms, understanding the religious aspect and polishing body language add more weight and value to the film. The concluding scene where Shazia says ‘padh’ comes as a ray of hope to many and it should be taken seriously because education is all you need to survive and face obstacles that are thrown at you.