Mumbai court dismisses plea seeking ban on film on Madam of Kamathipura

Mumbai court dismisses plea seeking ban on film on Madam of Kamathipura

The purported son of Gangubai Kathiawadi sought injunction on a film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, claiming Hussain Zaidi's novel was defamatory, tarnished her reputation and infringed upon the right to privacy and self-respect of his deceased mother

The Mumbai City Civil Court on 17 February 2021 dismissed a suit refused to grant any relief to the plaintiff towards an upcoming movie on the life of Gangubai Kathiawadi, famous in her lifetime as Madam of Kamathipura -- the red light area located in Central Mumbai.

The plaintiff Babuji Shah, who claimed to be the adopted son of Gangubai, had sought an injunction against authors of the novel 'The Mafia Queens of Mumbai' to restrain them from publishing, selling or creating third party rights on their novel, as well as to injunct Bhansali Productions from producing the film "Gangubai Kathawadi" or airing any promo of the film based on the novel.

Journalist Hussain Zaidi's non-fiction crime novel 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai: Stories of women from the ganglands' was published in 2011.

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' starring Alia Bhatt is an upcoming biographical crime film based on a chapter about Gangubai Kothewali from Zaidi's novel.

One chapter dedicated to Gangubai details her journey into the world of crime. She was sold into prostitution at an early age by her male suitor, Ramnik Lal, after running away from home. Subsequently, she established a chain of brothels and came to be known as the Madam of Kamathipura.

In his plea, Babuji Shah claimed that the chapters on Kathiawadi in the novel were defamatory, tarnished her reputation and infringed upon the right to privacy and self-respect of his purported deceased mother.

He also informed the Court that the author of the novel did not seek his permission nor sought any information from him or other family members.

Producers of the film had filed an application for rejection of the plaint, inter alia, on the ground that the suit is barred by limitation since the novel was published in 2011. Further that the Plaintiff had failed to substantiate his claim that he is the adopted son of Gangubai Kathiawadi or an array of other family members he claimed were wronged by the book, thereby Plaintiff not being able to establish his locus standi.

The reasons for dismissal of the suit is expected to be listed in the order copy which is awaited.

The legal heirs of many known personalities in the past also had objected unsuccessfully to such biographical films on grounds of defamation and breach of privacy of the deceased.