Nikaah 1982

In Nikaah, director B.R. Chopra crafts a thoughtful social drama around the sharia law of divorce, Talaq, and how it can be misused within Indian Muslim society. Haider [Raj Babbar] and Nilofar [Salma Agha] are students at Osmania University, where Haider, an aspiring poet, falls in love with Nilofar, unaware that she is already engaged to Wasim, a Nawab. Nilofar and Wasim eventually marry, while Haider rises as a recognized poet and the editor of a magazine.

After the wedding, Nilofar discovers that Wasim is a workaholic who often quarrels over small issues. On their honeymoon, Wasim secures a new business contract and spends most of his time at work, leaving Nilofar feeling neglected and lonely. The woman who hoped for a blissful life finds herself repeatedly let down as Wasim struggles to keep his promises and leave her waiting. This emotional distance deepens as days turn into months, and the couple’s relationship becomes strained, testing Nilofar’s patience and her sense of belonging.

On their first wedding anniversary, Wasim and Nilofar plan a party, but Wasim fails to appear. Nilofar cannot face the guests and withdraws to her bedroom, while the guests feel insulted by the absence of the hosts. The displeasure culminates in a heated argument, and in a moment of anger, Wasim pronounces Talaq, effectively ending the marriage. Nilofar, now a divorcee, begins a new chapter when Haider offers her a job at his magazine, and she starts to realize that Haider’s feelings for her run deeper than friendship. Wasim, meanwhile, has divorced her and now contemplates reconciliation and remarriage.

Seeking guidance, Wasim approaches the Imam, who explains the complexity of the Sharia law governing remarriage after divorce, notably the concept of Nikah halala — a process requiring the divorced woman to marry another man, consummate the union, and obtain a divorce before she can remarry her former husband. This legal and moral maze adds a new layer of tension to the lives of all involved, highlighting the social constraints that can overshadow personal happiness.

As time passes, Haider confesses his love and expresses a desire to marry Nilofar. The two proceed to marriage with the consent of their families, stepping into a union that is shaped by both emotion and negotiation within a traditional framework. Wasim, feeling eclipsed by the evolving romance, writes to Nilofar asking her to divorce Haider and return to him. Haider, misreading the situation, believes the two are still bound by unresolved feelings and proposes to facilitate a divorce so Nilofar can remarry Wasim. He even brings Wasim to meet Nilofar and offers his consent to a Talaq, hoping to clear a path for Wasim’s remarriage. Nilofar, however, rejects this arrangement, challenging both men to see her not as a possession but as a person with her own desires and autonomy. She chooses to continue her life with Haider, and Wasim ultimately blesses the couple and leaves, accepting the reality of Nilofar’s choice and the strength of her new partnership.