EXCLUSIVE: "Haq was passed WITHOUT a single cut in India but also in UAE, UK, USA, Singapore"; Suparn S Varma BREAKS silence on criticism: "The way we approached Shazia and Abbas, they could be Sunita and Amit or Sandra and Albert and it would still make NO difference"

The powerful courtroom drama Haq opened to unanimously positive reviews. It saw a jump on Saturday, which proved that the word of mouth had caught on. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Suparn S Varma about the feedback and a lot more.

 

EXCLUSIVE: "Haq was passed WITHOUT a single cut in India but also in UAE, UK, USA, Singapore"; Suparn S Varma BREAKS silence on criticism: "The way we approached Shazia and Abbas, they could be Sunita and Amit or Sandra and Albert and it would still make NO difference"

 

You have made several web series in the last many years and Haq is your first directorial and theatrical release in 12 years! Was it a bit of a new experience for you, where you not just had to worry about critical acclaim but also box office collections?

 

The pressure is the same on both mediums. You still need to do the numbers, or else, you won’t bag Season 2. We need to consider the episode completion rate, season completion rate and other parameters on OTT. The only pressure that goes away is the one we face on Friday. But that’s the thing about life. It prepares and teaches you for everything. Having done films in the past, I am aware of the pressures on Friday. As a filmmaker, I have just been gradually preparing for what was to come in the last 5-6 years of my life. I was one of the first filmmakers to make a streaming show on Voot; it was before Netflix and Amazon Prime Video exploded in India. I also directed Hasmukh and The Family Man Season 2 happened at the same time. Sirf Ek Bandaa Hai (2023) became the most-watched Zee5 film. It’s been a journey. I have been learning continuously from everything I have done so far, from being a journalist to a writer to a director. When you look back in life, everything makes sense because everything was meant to happen at the right time.

 

Did you go to cinema halls to check the reactions? There have been reports of viewers clapping in several hard-hitting scenes…

 

Oh yes. I have been going to the theatres every single day and recording the public reaction. Either I am watching grown-up men wiping their faces with handkerchiefs or women using their pallus or burakhs to wipe their tears. There have been claps; there have been hoots. Haq is the kind of a film you dream of making, where you’ll get 4-star reviews unanimously while the audience is clapping and giving standing ovations. The latter usually doesn’t happen, but it’s happening here, every single day. Hence, I am shamelessly going every day to witness it (laughs).

 

Were Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi the original choices?

 

I met Yami when we had the first story draft, when the screenplay was not ready. Yet, she loved it at that point and agreed to do the film as she understood what we were planning.

 

As for Emraan, I needed an actor who could bring an understanding to the character of Abbas. Otherwise, Abbas would have been a one-dimensional character. Sometimes, you dream of things, but you dare not say it aloud, as it might get rejected. I have learned in life to ask and get rejection rather than not ask at all. I guess that’s how manifestation works. So, I literally asked my casting director Shivam Gupta, ‘Why don’t we approach Emraan Hashmi?’. He liked my idea.

 

 

I met Emraan and narrated the story. He loved it, but he had some questions. I told him to read the script and that it had all the answers. Within 4 hours, he read the script. He still had some doubts. I told him, ‘Trust me’. He came on board. Then, he was more fearless than ever. He said, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll do it. You go for it’. This allowed us to layer his character more.

 

This is how Shazia and Abbas were born, played by two fearless actors who are at the top of their game. We shot the whole film in 32 days. We never went back home. Yami was a new mother. She literally stayed away from her child as she was living as Shazia Bano.

 

Every week, we hear of the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) asking for unjust cuts. But Haq was passed without a single cut…

 

I would say this loudly and with absolute gratefulness in my heart. The Indian Censor Board loved the film and said that it was very balanced. Hence, they passed it without a single cut. Haq has been passed without a single cut in the UAE, UK, USA and Singapore. Not a single cut!

 

We did not make this film to stir up any controversy. It was made with very honest intentions right from day 1. We might talk about issues that are very contentious, but we chose to discuss it in a balanced and nuanced form. I seek to have a conversation and that is exactly what’s happening. There are conversations happening on dinner tables and water coolers in offices across the country. The bottom line is that the way we approached Shazia and Abbas, they could be Sunita and Amit or Sandra and Albert and it would still make no difference. It’s a very universal story. Also, all faiths say the same thing and someone tries to interpret it for you. The minute you take that approach, it connects to people.

 

You were a part of Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, which won the National Award. Do you hope Haq also follows suit?

 

My reward is the box office. Everything else after that is God’s gift. Right now, our effort is to push the film and ensure that it reaches out to the audience via every medium possible. Touchwood, the love is insane, but we want the momentum to carry on for 4-5 weeks.

 

Has the family of Shah Bano seen Haq?

 

I am not aware. I hope they watch the film. Once they do that, their hearts will literally be filled with love and happiness (smiles).

 

Also Read: Suparn Verma on the relevance of Haq, “Honestly, nothing has changed for women in the last 40 years”

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