'Haq': Are Shah Bano And Husband, Mohd. Ahmed Khan's 5 Children Alive? Meet Real Life Characters

Shah Bano Begum was an Indian Muslim woman from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, whose legal battle for alimony became a landmark moment in India's judicial and political history. Her case, Mohammed Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum (1985), remains a central reference point in debates over secular law versus religious personal law. Yami Gautam Dhar and Emraan Hashmi's courtroom drama, Haq drew renewed attention to the Shah Bano case. Most of us are aware of the case rulings and their later reversal. Here's a look at the lesser-known details of Shah Bano's life, including her five kids.

Meet Shah Bano and Mohammed Ahmed Khan's children

Shah Bano and Mohammed Ahmed Khan share five children, three sons and two daughters. The eldest son, Hamid Ahmed Khan, was reportedly born in 1933. Hamid worked as a technical assistant in a textile mill. Shah Bano and Ahmed's second son, Saeed Ahmed Khan, was reportedly born in 1940 and worked as a manager in a transport company. Jamil Ahmed Khan, the youngest son of the ex-couple, served as a branch manager at the Citizen Urban Cooperative Bank. He was reportedly born in 1945 and was a primary supporter of his mother during her legal case.

Shah Bano and Ahmed's daughters were named Siddiqua Begum Khan and Fatima. Siddiqua Begum Khan is reportedly Shah Bano's only legal heir as of January 2026. In 2025, she filed a legal challenge against the release of the film, Haq, which was inspired by her mother's life, citing factual inaccuracies and the revival of family trauma. No information is available regarding Shah Bano and Ahmed Khan's second daughter, Fatima. Specifics regarding whether she is still alive are not reported, and the last update regarding her is that she was married during the original legal battle between her parents.

Fatima's elder sister, Siddiqua Begum Khan, is alive and continues to be a spokesperson for the family. Their eldest brother, Hameed Khan, is deceased, and the youngest brother, Jameel, is alive but reportedly struggles with financial issues and public attention following the landmark case. The current status of the middle brother, Saeed, is unknown. The family, who mostly keeps a low profile, has recently come under the spotlight after speaking out against the Suparn S. Varma-directed film, Haq.

What was the Shah Bano case?

The Shah Bano case was the legal battle between Shah Bano Begum, a 62-year-old woman, and her husband, Mohammed Ahmed Khan. The case was a landmark legal battle in India, centered on a divorced Muslim woman's right to seek maintenance from her former husband under the secular law. The Supreme Court delivered a verdict in Shah Bano's favour in 1985, sparking a national controversy. To address the situation, the then-Congress government enacted the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986. This Act restricted the husband's maintenance liability to the iddat period (90 days after divorce).

After iddat, the divorced woman would have to rely financially on her relatives; if that were not a viable option, the Waqf Board would be responsible for supporting her. Following the Act's passing, Shah Bano's husband stopped providing her with the Rs. 179 monthly allowance he had promised. Years later, in 2001, Shah Bano's lawyer, Danial Latifi, challenged the 1986 Act, and the Supreme Court returned to its previous ruling. However, Shah Bano died in 1992, unaware of the overturned decision.

What are your thoughts on Shah Bano's children honouring their mother even years after her death? Let us know.

Also Read: Is Haq's Real Life 'Shazia Bano's' Husband, Mohammed Ahmed Khan Alive? Here's What We Know

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