Why a Rose, Not the Courtroom, Defines Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam’s Haq

When you watch Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam's starrer Haq, you expect a powerful courtroom drama. What you don’t expect is to leave the film thinking about roses. Not just as flowers, but as symbols of love, control, loss, and finally, justice. Long after the verdict is delivered, it is the image of the rose that stays with you, quietly following Shazia Bano’s journey.

Set in 1980s India, Haq tells the story of Shazia Bano, a woman fighting for child support after her husband abandons her and marries again. When he tries to silence her with triple talaq, her personal struggle turns into a larger battle for women’s dignity and legal rights. Written by Reshu Nath and directed by Suparn Varma, the film uses visuals and symbolism as powerfully as dialogue.

The Rose as a Promise of Love

The first time Mohammad Abbas Khan (Emraan Hashmi) appears, he offers Shazia a rose in court. The gesture seems tender, almost romantic. It is a gentle gesture, almost romantic, but his line stays with me more than the flower itself. “Keh dena ghar walo se ab hamne mohar laga di hai.” 

Shazia (Yami Gautam) accepts the rose with a smile, believing in love and commitment. To her, the rose represents mutual affection. She doesn’t yet realise it can also be taken away.

At their wedding, Abbas wears a rose Sehra. Rose petals rain down as they walk together, and later, he places another rose on the dining table for her. Every frame feels warm and full. Even when the maid casually mentions how Sahab replaces things instead of fixing them, Shazia laughs it off.  At this point, Love feels enough.

The Garden That Becomes Shazia’s World

Shazia’s happiness slowly centres on her garden. She dreams of growing roses herself. This garden is not just a hobby; it becomes her safe space, her identity, and her pride.

When neighbours question her freedom as a woman, Abbas supports her. Here, the rose changes meaning. It no longer stands only for romance, but for confidence and partnership. Even the rare blue roses symbolise a delicate happiness, protected by mutual care. For a brief time, Shazia has that balance.

When the Roses Begin to Dry

Life changes after Shazia becomes a mother. Abbas leaves for Pakistan, saying it is for work. Days turn into months. Shazia waits, pregnant and alone. Slowly, her garden begins to dry.

The film doesn’t rely on dramatic scenes here. The visuals speak. The fading roses reflect her growing fear and loneliness. When she learns Abbas has married another woman (Saira), the betrayal feels painful but unsurprising. Abbas has always replaced things instead of fixing them. Shazia realises she has become one of those things.

Even then, she remains silent. Abbas promises she will always be “number one.” But at night, Shazia stands alone in the garden while he laughs inside with his second wife. The roses are still there, but they no longer belong to her.

A Life Without Flowers

After the birth of her third child, the garden is empty. No flowers. Just dry land. Abbas walks ahead with his new wife, ignoring Shazia and the children. The absence of roses now represents humiliation and emotional abandonment. Silence becomes her daily reality.

Roses That No Longer Mean Anything

When Shazia leaves for her parents’ home, Abbas brings roses to win her back. When she refuses them, he becomes angry. As she walks away, the barren land stretches endlessly. No roses. No colour. Just survival.

Later, when Abbas stops sending money for the children, Shazia visits him again. One of the most telling moments is when she wipes dust off the rose motifs in his room. It shows that things could have been repaired. He simply never tried.

The Courtroom and the Last Illusion

When the legal battle begins, the setting changes. The courtroom has light, greenery, and open space. There is hope again. Abbas asks Shazia to meet him. The rose garden appears once more, suggesting a final chance.

Instead, Abbas admits he married Saira for love. He hands Shazia her meher of Rs 2000 and pronounces talaq three times. The rose fades into the background. Love is gone. Dignity remains.

From Love to Resistance

During Shazia’s darkest days, the film surrounds her with dry grass and dead trees. Abbas, in contrast, is shown in dull, lifeless frames. The emotional weight is heavy. Sheeba Chaddha’s character adds strength and solidarity, grounding Shazia’s pain in shared womanhood.

During the communal riots, Shazia returns to save her children and tells them, “Yeh bageecha tumhari ammi ne banaya tha.” The roses now exist only as memory and legacy.

What the Rose Finally Stands For

By the time Shazia wins the triple talaq case, the rose has completely changed its meaning. In the final courtroom moment, Abbas leaves a rose behind as he walks away. The circle is complete. He offered a rose when he wanted control. He leaves it behind when he loses it.

In Haq, the rose is never just a flower. It starts as love and a promise. Then it becomes emotional labour, sacrifice, and silence. Finally, it turns political.

Shazia’s fight is not about a rose. It is about her Haq. About recognition. About the truth that care creates value, and value creates power. That is what stays with you. Not just the verdict, but the journey of a rose that bloomed, dried, and finally stood for justice.

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