Gangubai Kathiawadi's family seeks stay on release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Alia Bhatt's movie

Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi is in the centre of controversy just before its theatrical release on 25 February. The family members of Gangubai, upon whose life the film is said to be based, have sought a stay on the film’s release.

They have levied charges of defamation against director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Bhatt and Husain Zaidi, on whose book Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of Women from the Ganglands, the film is based.

According to news reports, the family is displeased with the portrayal of Gangubai as a prostitute.

Advocate Narendra Dubey, who is fighting the case on behalf of Gangubai's adopted children, stated that the woman was a social worker who fought for the rights of prostitutes. He also asserted political leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Morarji Desai and Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to visit her home during elections, as per a report in Hindustan Times. 

"Nobody wants their mother to be portrayed as a prostitute. Even the son of a prostitute won't want that," Dubey told the media outlet in an interview. He explained that the portrayal of Gangubai as a sex worker "is just for the sake of money, it assassinates the character of a person." Dubey further added that while Zaidi had written in his book that Gangubai never wanted to become a prostitute, the film has explicitly portrayed her as one.

Dubey also stated that Gangubai’s family had gone to court after the first promo of the movie came out in 2021. The matter is currently in the Supreme Court of India and the family hopes that they can get a hearing before the release of the film.

Gangubai Kathiawadi features Bhatt as a young woman who gets sold by her suitor into prostitution and later becomes one of the most prominent brothel owners in Mumbai’s Kamathipura area.

As per reports, Gangubai had adopted four children. Her family states that the makers of the film have defamed their reputation.
Recently, Gangubai's adopted son had expressed discontent over her portrayal in the movie, adding that the makers had turned his mother into a sex worker. This had led to people stating malicious things about Gangubai to her family, her adopted son Baburao told Aaj Tak.

Gangubai Kathiawadi also stars Vijay Raaz, Ajay Devgn and Seema Pahwa in pivotal roles.