Case filed against Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Leela Bhansali over ‘indecent representation’ in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’

A case has been registered against filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Alia Bhatt, who plays the eponymous character, and Bhansali Productions by Gangubai’s son Babuji Rawji Shah.

Pic Courtesy: Twitter/@bhansali_produc

New Delhi: Alia Bhatt’s upcoming film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, based on a real-life story of a brothel owner of the same name, has landed in a legal trouble. A case has been registered against filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Alia Bhatt and Bhansali Productions by Gangubai’s son Babuji Rawji Shah.

As per The Print’s report, Shah has also filed a case against writer Hussain Zaidi and reporter Jane Borges. Hussain penned the book ‘The Mafia Queens of Mumbai’, on which the movie is based, while the original research is credited to Jane.

“Ever since the promo of the film came out, rumours have spread and Shah has been harassed in his own locality. His leg was fractured from being hit. His relatives are also suffering as they are now being known as coming from a ‘prostitute family’,” Narendra Dubey, Shah’s lawyer, told The Print. He added that they may also file a criminal complaint against the defendants for ‘defamation, indecent representation of women, and circulation of obscene and indecent material’, in the near future.

Shah has reportedly alleged that certain parts of ‘The Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ are ‘defamatory and an infringement upon his right to privacy, self-respect and liberty’.

The defendants are given time till January 7, 2021 to respond, the report further said.

‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ was slated to release on September 11, 2020, but the release got postponed due COVID-19 pandemic. The film’s story revolves around Gangubai becoming the ‘madam of Kamathipura’, Mumbai’s red-light area.