Gangubai's son criticizes Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi

The trailer for Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi was recently released. The film has been generating attention on social media ahead of its February 25 release. Many people have praised Alia Bhatt for her portrayal as Gangubai, the madam of a brothel in old Mumbai. However, Babu Raoji Shah, Gangubai's adoptive son, and Bharti, Gangubai's granddaughter, appear to be dissatisfied with the situation.

The Bombay High Court postponed defamation charges against Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Leela Bhansali brought by a lower court in 2021. In March 2021, a metropolitan magistrate issued summons against Bhatt, Bhansali, and his production business Bhansali Productions Private Limited in response to a defamation action filed by Babuji Rao Shah, who claimed to be Gangubai's adoptive son. According to sources, Justice SK Shinde remarked on December 22, 2021, while accepting the plea made by Alia, Bhansali, and others under section 482 of the CrPC, that the complaint did not disclose elements of defamation under section 499(1) of the IPC.

"My mother has been turned into a prostitute," Babu Raoji Shah recently told the AajTak channel. People are now saying inexplicable things about my mother." According to reports, the family's lawyer stated that they had been in shock since the teaser for the biopic was released. According to the lawyer, the trailer depicted Gangubai in a completely false and erroneous light. "It is vulgar," said lawyer Narendra.

Bharti, granddaughter of Gangubai Kathiwadi said in a conversation with the news channel, "The makers have defamed my family out of greed for money. It cannot be accepted. You did not ask for the family's consent before going ahead with the project. You did not come to us while writing the book, nor did you seek our permission before making the film. My grandmother used to live in Kamathipura. So, did every woman living there become a prostitute? My grandmother had adopted four children there - two daughters, Shakuntala Ranjit Kawi (Bharti's mother) and Sushila Reddy, and two sons, Babu Raoji Shah and Rajinikanth Raoji Shah. We are from this family but now we've been termed 'illegal'. When our grandmother went through with the adoption, such strict adoption laws were not in place."

She went on to say that before the film was announced, her family would proudly recount her grandmother's stories, but that once the film was announced, everyone began to inquire about Gangubai portraying as a prostitute. "My grandmother has worked for the upliftment of the sex workers there throughout her life. What have these people turned my grandmother into, " Bharti added.

Gangubai Kathiawadi has also been chosen to be screened at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival in February, where it will make its global debut as part of Berlinale Special, a section of the festival dedicated to showcasing exceptional cinema.

The film, which also stars Vijay Raaz and Seema Pahwa and represents Shantanu Maheshwari's Bollywood debut, will be released on February 25, 2022.