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In a criminal defamation complaint filed against authors of the novel 'The Mafia Queens of Mumbai' on which the film “Gangubai Kathiawadi” is based, the Bombay High Court recently stayed the summons issued by a Magistrate Court.

It must be noted that, the Metropolitan Magistrate at Mazgaon in March,2021 had issued summons against Alia Bhat, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his production company Bhansali Productions Private Limited on a defamation complaint under section 500 of IPC, filed by one Babuji Shah.

Babuji Shah claimed to be the adopted son of Gangubai Kathiawadi, and asserted that the movie was inspired by ''The Mafia Queens of Mumbai'' novel.

According to Shah, some portions of the novel were defamatory, which tarnished Gangubai Kathiawadi's reputation and infringed upon her right to privacy.

Thereafter, the authors of the book Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges had then moved the High Court challenging issue of such summons.

The single judge bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere, while hearing the criminal application issued a notice to Shah and stayed the proceedings before the trial court till the next hearing of the application on September 7.

Senior advocate Aabad Ponda for Bhansali Productions, informed the Bench that the film Gangubai was based on a book authored by Jane Borges and Hussain Zaidi, which was published in 2011. He futher added that the film was based on a part of the book and they were not aware of Shah’s existence.

Ponda also informed the bench that a Civil Court had dismissed a suit filed by Shah, wherein he had sought a permanent injunction against the authors of the book from publishing, selling or creating any third party rights in relation to the book.

As per Ponda, Shah had failed to furnish details of the same to the magistrate in his criminal complaint, therefore the summons issued to his client should be set aside.

The film features Alia Bhatt as Gangubai, one of the most powerful, loved and respected madams from Kamathipura, Mumbai's red-light area, during the 1960s.