Gangubai Kathiawadi poster featuring Alia Bhatt
Highlights
- Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi is all set to hit theaters
- Alia will be essaying the titular role
- Ahead of film's release, know why it's facing legal troubles
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' starring actress Alia Bhatt has landed itself in troubled waters. The family members have raised objections to the portrayal of Gangubai in the film. Alia will be essaying the titular role and the film is set to hit the theaters on Feb 25. Ahead of the film's release, know, who is Gangubai Kathiawadi and why the film is facing legal troubles.
Gangubai Kathiawadi- The film
'Gangubai Kathiawadi' tells the tale of a young girl named Ganga who becomes Gangubai, a madame in the red light area of Kamathipura. It is loosely based on the true story of Gangubai Harjivandas, popularly known as Gangubai Kothewali, whose life was documented in the book 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai' written by S. Hussain Zaidi.
Who is Gangubai Kathiawadi?
Gangubai Kathiawadi whose real name was Gangubai Harjivandas was born in Kathiawadi, Gujrat. As per S Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’, Gangubai wanted to become a Bollywood actress, however, she was pushed into prostitution at a very young age. She fell in love with his father's accountant and ran away with him to Mumbai at the age of 16. While she was dreaming of a happy life ahead, the man betrerayed her and sold her at a brothel for Rs 500.
Rising above the atrocities, Gangubai became the most powerful woman in the Kamathipura area of Mumbai. She operated her own brothel but never kept a girl in the brothel against her consent. She also worked for the rights of sex workers and orphans. She even led the movement against the removal of Mumbai's prostitute market at the same time. Even today, the statue of Gangubai is installed in Kamathipura, Mumbai.
Why Alia Bhatt's film Gangubai Kathiawadi is facing legal troubles?
The Alia Bhatt-starrer is in legal trouble, and the actress and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali were summoned by the Mumbai court. One of the four children of Kathiawadi, Babu Rawji Shah, filed a criminal defamation case against the actress and director. Shah says that the movie is defamatory. He alleges that some portions of the film were defamatory and tarnished the image of his late mother, a powerful madam from Kamathipura, Mumbai's red light area, during the 1960s.
Ahead of the film’s release, the residence of Kamathipura staged protest and raised slogans for showcasing the area in a bad light. Carrying banners and posters of Gangubai Kathiawadi, the locals allege that the way Kamathipura was shown in the film is wrong and shameful.
Allegedly, the people claimed that 'their Kamathipura is 250 years old, many engineers, pilots, doctors lived there, but they are defamed because of films. People are not getting jobs even after they appear for the interviews. It's bad to hear!.' Further, they demanded that the film should be banned.
Backed by Bhansali Productions, co-produced by Jayantilal Gada’s Pen India Limited, Gangubai Kathiawadi also stars Ajay Devgn and Huma Quereshi in an interesting roles, besides Seema Pahwa, Vijay Raaz, and Jim Sarbh.
"Gangubai Kathiawadi" had its world premiere at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival this month and will release theatrically on Feb 25.
