MUMBAI: Days before the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial ‘Gangubai Kathaiwadi’, legal troubles have seeped in for the makers. A petition has been filed with the Bombay High Court by the residents of the Kamathipura area in South Mumbai against the makers for portraying the entire area as a red-light hub. The residents have sought removal of references of the area.

The petition filed by Shraddha Surve, a resident of Kamathipura where a number of brothels operated in the past, was mentioned before a division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Madhav Jamdar on Tuesday, seeking urgent hearing as the movie is slated for release on Friday.

The Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed film, based on a chapter from writer S Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, features Alia Bhatt as Gangubai, one of the most powerful, loved and respected madams from Kamathipura during the 1960s. The actress plays the titular role.

Several organisations such as the Punarjivan Rahivaasi Seva Mandal, Tiranga Housing Society, the Akhil Padmashali Samaj, Khatik Samaj, and other Gujarati trusts wrote to the petitioner against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film, which will be releasing in theatres on February 25 and also stars actor Ajay Devgn.

Credits: TOI