A Bombay city civil court on 17th February dismissed a plea against Alia Bhatt, producer-director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and author Hussain Zaidi, seeking an order against airing of Gangubai Kathiawadi, directed by Bhansali, starring Alia Bhatt and based on a book, Mafia Queens Of Mumbai, written by Hussain Zaidi. Kathiawadi had allegedly owned a brothel in the city during her lifetime.
The suit, filed by Babuji Shah (74), who claimed to be the adopted son of Kathiawadi, sought to restrain them from publishing or selling the book or creating third-party rights. He wanted a chapter relating to his mother to be deleted too. The plea said that the chapter was defamatory and tarnished Kathiawadi’s image and hence an order restraining the production, direction or airing of any promo of the movie on social media or in theatres should be passed. He said, his mother, who had adopted four children including him, had worked towards upliftment of sex workers in the area and prevention of human trafficking.
Bhansali, Alia and Zaidi sought rejection of the plaint submitted in December 2020. They said, the suit was barred by the law of limitation as the novel was published in 2011. The defendants also questioned Babuji Shah’s locus standi to file a suit as he had not adduced proof of his adoption.