Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi starring Alia Bhatt has once again courted controversy ahead of film's release.Last year, a Mumbai court had summoned Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Alia Bhatt after Babu Raoji Shah filed a petition against the film. However, later, the Bombay High Court refused to stay the release of Gangubai Kathiawadi. Not only this, it also granted an interim stay on the criminal defamation proceedings against the makers of the film. The case is now pending. Now, talking to AajTak.in, Babu Raoji Shah expressed his displeasure with the Alia Bhatt starter. "My mother has been turned into a prostitute. People are now saying inexplicable things about my mother," he told AajTak in Hindi.
Gangubai’s family’s lawyer Narendra revealed that the family has been in hiding and shifting homes ever since 2020, when they first came to know that a film was being made on Gangubai. He further shared that many relatives are now questioning the portrayal and asking if Gangubai was really a prostitute and not a social worker like they had said. Narendra revealed that the family’s “mental state is not good”, and that “no one is able to live in peace”. Gangubai's granddaughter Bharti also lashed out at the makers and claimed that they have defamed the family out of greed for money. She said, "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 further added, “My grandmother has worked for the upliftment of the sex workers there throughout her life. What have these people turned my grandmother into?”Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi is a biopic of the woman who was pushed to prostitution at a young age but fought back for herself and emerged as one of the most influential figures in Mumbai. The movie also stars Ajay Devgn, Vijay Raaz, and Shantanu Maheshwari in pivotal roles. Gangubai Kathiawadi is all set to release in theatres on February 25.