Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiwadi, featuring Alia Bhatt in the titular role, is among the most-awaited films of 2022. Also featuring Ajay Devgn, Shantanu Maheshwari, and Vijay Raaz in pivotal roles, the movie is scheduled to hit the big screens on February 25 and fans are eagerly waiting to watch it. While the trailer has received an amazing response, the family members of Gangubai, her purported adopted son Babu Raoji Shah and granddaughter Bharti, aren't happy with the makers. 

After Babu Raoji Shah filed a petition against the film, a Mumbai court summoned Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Alia Bhatt last year. However, the Bombay High Court later refused to stay Gangubai Kathiawadi release. Not only that, but the criminal defamation proceedings against the film's creators were also put on hold for the time being. The case is currently on hold. 

Now, talking to AajTak.in about his mother's portrayal in the film, Shah said, "My mother has been turned into a prostitute. People are now saying inexplicable things about my mother". 

Reportedly, Gangubai's family members have been in shock ever since the makers released the film’s trailer. Revealing the same, Narendra, Gangubai's family lawyer, shared, "The way Gangubai was portrayed is completely wrong and baseless. It is vulgar. You are representing a social activist as a prostitute. Which family would like it? You have made her [Gangubai] a vamp and lady don". 

Meanwhile, reacting to Gangubai's 'vulgar' portrayal on-screen, her granddaughter Bharti says, "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". 

She added, "We used to proudly narrate the stories of our grandmother. But, after the trailer was released, people have been calling to tell us how she is being portrayed as a prostitute. My grandmother has worked for the upliftment of the *** workers there throughout her life. What have these people turned my grandmother into". 

Alia as well as Gangubai Kathiawadi makers are yet to react to the accusation of Gangubai's family. 

For the unversed, the film is based on one of the chapters from Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. Alia plays Gangubai, a gun-wielding brothel owner who was one of the most loved, powerful, and revered in Kamathipura during the 1960s. Gangubai, who was sold into prostitution at an early age, reportedly rose to prominence in the city, with some of the most prominent criminals as her clients.

Source: India Today

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