Gangubai Kathiawadi Case: Alia Bhatt And Sanjay Leela Bhansali Summoned By Court

Alia Bhatt summoned by court: Mazgaon Metropolitan Magistrate Court has issued summons to actor Alia Bhatt, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and two writers of the film Gangubai Kathiawadi. A defamation suit filed against the team alleges that the film presents Gangubai, on whose life the film is based, in a poor light.

The magistrate court thus asked Bhatt and Bhansali to present themselves on May 21 and give their response regarding the issue. The criminal defamation case was filed by Babu Ravji Shah, who claims to be the adopted son of Gangubai Kathiawadi.

The film Gangubai Kathiawadi is based on chapters from the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, written by S Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges. Shah accuses the writers of the book and the team behind the biopic of tarnishing the reputation of his adoptive mother and damaging their rights to privacy.

Shah had previously filed a plea seeking restriction on the permanent sale of publishing, selling, or creating third-party rights on the said novel and Gangubai Kathiawadi, the film. Shah's advocate Narendra Dubey said that the book's authors had not sought any permission from the family before publishing it. He also added that the writers had not obtained the information published through authentic sources, like the family itself.

The Mumbai civil court with which the petition was filed had dismissed it in February this year after Shah had failed to furnish any evidence that supported his adoption claims. 

Gangubai Kathiawadi is set to release on July 30, 2021.

Watch the film's teaser here: