Cinema, Representation and Muslim Women: An Islamic Feminist Critique of Suparn Verma’s Haq (2025)

Abstract

Aims: This paper critically examines Suparn Verma’s Haq (2025) through the lens of Islamic feminism, with a particular focus on the representation of Muslim women, Islamic law, and gender justice. The study seeks to investigate how the film engages with issues such as Triple Talaq, marital oppression and women’s legal rights, while assessing whether the narrative offers a nuanced understanding of Islamic jurisprudence or reproduces reductive stereotypes surrounding Muslim women and Muslim communities.

Methodology and Approaches: The paper employs qualitative textual and thematic analyses of the film, drawing on the theoretical perspectives of Islamic feminism, postcolonial feminism, and feminist legal critique. Drawing upon the works of scholars such as Saba Mahmood, Leila Ahmed, Asma Barlas and Lila Abu-Lughod, the study analyses the film’s narrative structure, characterization, dialogues, and socio-legal framing.

Outcome: The analysis demonstrates that although Haq foregrounds important concerns regarding patriarchal practices and women’s vulnerability within marital structures, the film ultimately presents a limited and selective understanding of Islamic legal traditions.

Conclusion and Suggestions: The paper concludes that meaningful cinematic engagement with Muslim women’s issues requires a more historically grounded and ethically nuanced approach to Islam, gender and law. The study suggests that future representations of Muslim women in Indian cinema must move beyond victimhood narratives and engage more responsibly with Islamic feminist scholarship and lived Muslim realities.