'Entire Area Shown As Prostitution Hub' : Kamathipura Residents Approach Bombay High Court Against 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' Movie

Two petitions have been filed in the Bombay High Court against the movie Gangubai Kathiawadi featuring Alia Bhatt in the lead role and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, seeking a stay on its release alleging that the movie casts a stigma on the entire area called Kamathipura as well as the Kathiawadi community as a whole. While one PIL has been filed by Amin Patel, local Member of Legislative Assembly in who assembly segment the Kamathipura area falls, the other petition is filed by one Shraddha Surve, a resident of Kamathipura since 10 years. Patel's petition is likely to be heard by a division bench headed by the Chief Justice and Surve's petition is likely to be heard by a division bench headed by Justice Gautam Patel tomorrow. The movie's release date is for this Friday – February 25, 2022. While seeking circulation for the plea filed by residents their counsel submitted that in the movie, the entire Kamathipura area is branded as a red-light area. "Whatever activity is carried out in only 2-3 lanes. They can call it maya-nagri, mayapuri, just not Kamathipura." If the movie is released, women living in the area would be termed as prostitutes, it will cause great prejudice to them. The respondents in the plea filed by Amin Patel include film maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, producer Jayantilal Gada and the Central Board of Film Certification. The second plea filed by Shraddha Amol Surve impleads Bhansali Productions and Pen India Limited as respondents, along with Bhansali and Gada. Both the petitions narrate the history of the area of Kamathipura and say that the movie effectively casts aspersions on the entire area of Kamathipura as a "red light area" though it is only a small part of the area where commercial sex workers live and work. "The Petitioner states that the size of the area is about 1.56 square kilometer the entire Kamathipura is admeasuring in to 52 acre of land with more then 2.5 lakhs of population and there are 42 lanes wherein not even 5 percent of the area is Prostitute area," says Surve's petition."That the Petitioner have also gone through the Trailer of the said film and found that the name of "Kamathipura" which describe the red-light area of the city of Mumbai and found it reputation has been lowered and/or defaming to the people living in the area where the Petitioner are living from past many years," the petition states.Patel's petition, which also annexes various letters/representations received by him from people objecting to the portrayal of the area as well as the community also states that the trailer does not even display a disclaimer. In the petition filed by Advocate Dhruti Kapadia, Patel says that he has been communicating with the relevant persons, however, he hasn't received any response from anyone. Patel also says that the book on which the movie is based, does not have Gangubai's last name as Kathiawadi – which is a last name used by people who hail from a particular region in Saurashtra, Gujarat. He says that the word Kathiawadi should be deleted from the movie completely. "They have categorically mentioned that this maligns the 200 years history and truth of Kamathipura and it hurts their sentiments as they have worked extremely hard to erase the social stigma they have gone through for the betterment of future generations," Patel's petition reads quoting one of the representations received by him as the MLA of the constituency. On the alleged misrepresentation of the Kathiawadi community, Patel's petition states, "The Petitioner has since the making of the movie raised objections in Assembly House as it certainly hurts the sentiments of the people at large and shows a negative picture of Kamathipura and Kathiwadi Community as a whole. It gives a social stigma to the entire community and public opinion at large would have a wrong maligning impression about people from that vicinity and community." The petition further adds that he has no intention of causing any losses to those connected with the movie, however, he is compelled to raise the issue due to the backlash in the area as well as the community. The petition also annexes a communication received from Gangubai's daughter Babita Chandra Gowda saying that her mother Gangubai Harjivandas Kathiyawadi was shown in the movie as a "prostitute and mafia queen" which was harming her and her families dignity and as well as her area's dignity. Surve as well as Patel's petition state that the area has a large number of population and people doing various kind of jobs reside over there, not just commercial sex workers. "Demographic of the area has drastically changed as more than 40 Acre of "Kamathipura" is surrounded with Temples, Mosques, Church Schools, playground, more than 800 landlords. 8,000 tenants reside along with all religious people. businessman, well educated like Engineers, Doctors, Gazetted Officers, Chartered...

'Entire Area Shown As Prostitution Hub' : Kamathipura Residents Approach Bombay High Court Against 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' Movie

Sharmeen Hakim

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