The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday suggested the makers of the movie Gangubai Kathiawadi, set for release this Friday, to change the name of the movie. The Court was hearing a plea by a man who claimed to be the adopted son of Gangubai Kathiawadi.
The Court has asked Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave appearing for the respondents to take instructions in this regard and has listed the matter for hearing tomorrow.
A Bench comprising Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice JK Maheshwari was hearing a special leave petition filed challenging Bombay High Court’s order refusing to stay the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi, rejecting an application by Kathiawadi’s ‘kin’ for a temporary injunction against the makers of the film.
The petitioner, Babuji Shah has sought an ad-interim ex – parte order restraining makers from printing, promoting, selling, assigning, etc. the novel namely “The Mafia Queens of Mumbai” or the film namely “Gangubai Kathiawadi” during the pendency of the case.
Shah alleged that the contents of the book ‘The Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ on which the movie is based are defamatory and constitute an infringement on his right to privacy, self-respect and liberty.
Shah had claimed that his “mother” was portrayed as a prostitute, brothel keeper and mafia queen in the film and the book.
The petitioner has argued that the impugned order passed by the High Court though is of interim nature but in view of nature of dispute and the specific finding recorded by the Court in the order, makes the entire pending appeal infructuous.
