In January, PeepingMoon.com exclusively revealed that the landmark Shah Bano Case of 1985, a pivotal moment in India’s legal and social history, will be adapted into a fictionalized feature film. We also said that Yami Gautam, fresh from the success of ‘Article 370’, will play the titular role, bringing to life Shah Bano Begum’s remarkable seven-year-long legal battle. Now, the project has gained further momentum with a major casting addition.

PeepingMoon.com has additionally and exclusively learned that Emraan Hashmi will play the leading man in this high-profile project. The ‘Jannat’ actor will take on the role of Bano's husband, an affluent and well-known advocate, whose stance on the case ignited a political and legal debate. He is expected to bring a distinctive interpretation to this complex figure and add gravitas to the high-stakes theatrical drama. The film will be directed by Suparn Varma, acclaimed for helming popular web series such as ‘The Family Man Season 2,’ ‘Rana Naidu,’ and ‘The Trial,’ while the script has been written by Reshu Nath, who has previously worked on ‘Illegal’ and ‘Heera Mandi’.

Emraan’s inclusion not only elevates the untitled film’s profile but also enriches his own filmography. The actor was last seen playing a Bollywood producer in Disney+Hotstar’s ‘Showtime’ in 2024 and the baddie in Salman Khan’s ‘Tiger 3’ in 2023. Emraan has four projects lined up. Starting with Excel Entertainment’s ‘Ground Zero’ (possible release being April 25) and two Telugu films after that: Pawan Kalyan’s action entertainer ‘OG,’ and Adivi Sesh’s ‘Goodachari 2’. He also has Neeraj Pandey's Netflix series in the pipeline.