A case has been filed against Sanjay Leela Bhansai, Alia Bhatt and Bhansali Productions for the upcoming movie ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ which portrays the life of a brothel owner by the same name. Gangubai’s son Babuji Rawji Shah has alleged that the contents of the book on which the movie is based on are defamatory and constitute an infringement on his right to privacy, self-respect and liberty.
The book is based on Hussain Zaidi’s ‘The Mafia Queens of Mumbai’. Shah has also filed a case against the author and reporter Jane Borges whose research constituted the premise of the book. The son has demanded the permanent cessation of the printing and circulation of the book, in addition to the deletion of the chapters on Gangubai Kathiawadi. He has also demanded that the movie be scrapped.
Narendra Dubey, Shah’s lawyer, has claimed that a criminal complaint may also be filed in the coming weeks for ‘defamation, indecent representation of women, and circulation of obscene and indecent material’. The first hearing in the matter was held at the Bombay High Court on Tuesday and the next hearing is slated to occur on the 7th of January.
Dubey told The Print, “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’.”
Gangubai Kathiawadi was slated to release in September this year but got delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It is now expected to release sometime next year.