Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Leela Bhansali granted interim stay from Bombay HC for Gangubai Kathiawadi controversy

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi is one of the highly-anticipated projects of the director where Alia will be playing the role of mafia queen and brothel worker Gangubai Kathiawadi.

The film was surrounded by controversy as a criminal defamation case was filed in connection to the film. The Bombay High Court has granted an interim stay on proceedings initiated by a local court against the actor and filmmaker.

The High Court on August 10 granted interim stay till the next date of hearing, September 7. The defamation case was made by Babuji Shah, who claimed to be the adoptive son of Gangubai.

Shah claimed that the film was inspired by the novel "The  Mafia Queens of Mumbai". he stated that some part of films has tainted the image of Gangubai's reputation and is defamatory in nature.

Later, seniors counsel Abad Ponda argued that they had no knowledge or information about the existence of Babuji Shah. Shah had even moved to HC, seeking a stay on the film's release and asking for a restraining order on writers/publishers of the novel from creating any third party rights or writing any other story on Gangubai. However, Justice Nitin Sambre rejected the application. It is claimed to be one of the most important roles of Alia Bhatt's career.