Former family court judge Swati Chauhan makes film febut inspired by a real-life case

The actors on the set of ‘Saira Khan Case’

She packed up her gavel and law books nine years before retirement and pursued cinema. After serving 28 years as a family court judge, Swati Chauhan is ready to showcase her debut feature Saira Khan Case. The film, starring Rajniesh Duggall, Poonam Dubey, and Karan Razdan, explores the complexities of triple talaq and Muslim personal law.

"There were matters of principle I couldn't compromise on. I thought, maybe I'm no longer a judge, but my commitment to justice continues. So I decided to make cinema my courtroom," shares Chauhan.

Swati Chauhan

Saira Khan Case, she says, was inspired by a case she adjudicated in the family court in 2014-15. "It was a case I lived. I've seen the witnesses, recorded their evidence, and heard the arguments myself." The story follows a Muslim woman who moved the court seeking an injunction on her husband's impending second marriage.

Chauhan had to decide while balancing secular and Muslim personal laws. "The husband argued that he was governed by Muslim personal law and that no one, not even the court, could interfere in his right to marry again. But as a judge, I had to consider the Domestic Violence Act, the Guardians and Wards Act, and also what the Quran says about marriage and custody," she elaborates.

Her ruling drew wide attention, even being published in Daily Pakistan. "The reports said an Indian court had restrained a Muslim man from marrying a second time," Chauhan recalls. "I received hate messages and threats, but I wasn't disturbed. Justice had to be done."

Did you know?
After leaving the judiciary, Swati Chauhan pursued a diploma in filmmaking from Mumbai University and channelled her savings into directing and producing the film.