The Bombay High Court has granted a temporary stay in the criminal defamation proceedings against the authors of the novel Mafia Queens of Mumbai, on which the film Gangubai Kathiawadi is based, Bar and Bench reported.
The stay on the summons issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate Court at Mazgaon, Mumbai, based on the complaint filed by Babuji Shah, who claims to be Gangubai Kathiawadi’s adopted son, will be valid until the next hearing of the case on October 6.
Written by Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges’, Mafia Queens of Mumbai is a collection of stories about women who were part of Mumbai’s underworld. Gangubai Kathiawadi was one of the most influential women in Kamathipura, a red-light district in Mumbai, and the owner of many brothels in the area.
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Gangubai Kathiawadi is an upcoming Hindi biographical crime drama, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, that is loosely based on one of the chapters of the novel. Alia Bhatt plays the role of Gangubai Kathiwadi in the film.
Following the release of the film’s teaser in February, Shah had approached the Metropolitan Magistrate Court opposing his alleged mother’s portrayal as a prostitute, brothel keeper and mafia queen in the book as well as the film, with a special objection to a scene featuring Gangubai smoking bidi.
He had submitted that the chapter on Gangubai Kathiawadi in the novel was defamatory in nature, has tarnished her reputation and infringed upon his deceased mother’s right to privacy and self-respect.
Based on the complaint, the Magistrate Court had issued summons against Zaidi and Borges in February.
The authors had then moved the Bombay High Court challenging the summons. The authors’ representative submitted that the book was released in April 2011 whereas the complaint was only filed in February 2021.
The authors’ advocate also pointed out that on February 18, the Mumbai City Civil Court had dismissed a suit that sought a permanent injunction to keep the authors from publishing, selling or creating third party rights on their novel. The suit had also sought a similar injunction against Bhansali Productions from producing, directing or airing the promo of any film based on the novel.
Recently, on August 20, the Bombay High Court temporarily stayed the defamation proceedings filed by Shah against the makers of the film Gangubai Kathiawadi, including director Bhansali, his production house Bhansali Productions, and the film’s lead actor Bhatt. Based on a petition filed by the film’s makers to quash the criminal defamation case against them, the court granted a stay on the proceedings until September 7.