Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Gangubai Kathiawadi is once again in trouble. The family members of Gangubai, on whom the film is based, have raised an objection over her portrayal in the biopic. They have sought a stay on the film's release and notices have been sent to Bhansali, Alia and writer Hussain Zaidi (Gangubai Kathiawadi was adapted from his book Mafia Queens of Mumbai). 

Talking about the legal battle, Advocate Narendra Dubey, who is representing Gangubai's purported adopted children, told a leading daily, "Nobody wants their mother to be portrayed as a prostitute. Even the son of a prostitute won't want that. It is just for the sake of money, it assassinates the character of a person. It is not a matter of mother and son, it is a matter of respect and dignity for every woman. No woman would want to be portrayed in such a nude and obscene manner. Even if we believe what Hussain Zaidi wrote in his book, he said Gangubai never wanted to become a prostitute. Would that woman then, want to be portrayed as a prostitute? She was a social worker and her family informed me that Morarji Desai, Jawahar Lal Nehru, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to visit her home during elections because she was a renowned face in Kamathipura at that point. She fought for the rights of prostitutes."

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Mr Dubey further added, "We moved for a stay soon after the first promo for the film came in 2020. We moved in September 2020. The trial court confirmed the adoption but the high court has asked for proof of adoption. The high court is asking about proof of adoption. The case (seeking a stay on the film's release) is now pending in the Supreme Court of India. We hope it gets a hearing before the film releases."

In 2021, Gangubai's family had filed a petition against the film. A Mumbai court even summoned Bhansali and Alia. Later, the Bombay High Court refused to stay the release of the film and granted relief to the makers by announcing an interim stay on the criminal defamation proceedings against them.

Gangubai Kathiawadi will release on February 25.

(Source: Hindustan Times)