Mumbai Court Rejects Suit By Babuji Shah Seeking Injunction Against Bhansali & Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi

A Mumbai Court has rejected a suit filed by one Babuji Shah, claiming to be the adopted son of Gangubai Kathiawadi, seeking a permanent injunction restraining the Sanjay Leela Bhansali, his production house, Bhansali Productions Pvt Ltd and Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt from producing, directing, airing, or distributing any promo or film of the movie "Gangubai Kathiawadi" in social media, theatres, OTT platforms or otherwise.

The petitioner, Babuji Shah, has submitted in his suit that the contents of the chapter of book 'The Mafia Queens of Mumbai' on which the movie named "Gangubai Kathiawadi" is based, are defamatory and constitute an infringement on his right to privacy, self-respect and liberty.

Shah has also sought an injunction against the authors of the book, S.Hussain Zaidi, and Jane Borges, restraining them from defaming and/or publishing, selling, alienating, assigning or creating any 3rd party rights with regard to the said novel.

Bhansali and his production house moved court seeking rejection of the suit, on the grounds that the suit was barred by limitation since the novel was published in the year 2011 and the suit was filed only in December 2020. They also argued that the petitioner, Babuji Shah, had not adduced any proof evidencing him to be the adopted son of Gangubai Kathiawadi and that the legal requirements of adoption were not complied with. Consequently, they said Babuji Shah did not have any locus standi to file the present suit and there was no cause of action.

It has also been argued that Bhatt is only an artist and has no role in the production of the movie, and has bene wrongly added as a party in the matter.

Gangubai Kathiawadi is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language biographical crime film based on a chapter of S. Hussain Zaidi's book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, about the life of Gangubai Kothewali, the madam of a brothel in Kamathipura in Maharashtra.

The DSK Legal team comprised of Mr. Anand Desai, Ms. Chandrima Mitra, Mr. Parag Khandhar and Ms. Prachi Garg. Counsel Mr. Pradeep Ghandy appeared before the Court in the said suit.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his production house were represented by Mr. Anand Desai; Ms. Chandrima Mitra; Mr. Parag Khandhar and Ms. Prachi Garg.

The case was argued by Adv. Pradeep Ghandy.