Anil Mattoo is crying foul over Sanjay Leela Bhansali not asking him for a NOC before announcing his film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi‘. The filmmaker is arguing that ‘Shuklaji Street’ is also based on the same subject, claiming that his film is inspired by the novel ‘Vasaksaaja’, which lends insight into the Kamathipura of 1974, Gangubai, and the work she did during the drought in Maharashtra.

Anil is now worried about the release of his film and also reached out to Bhansali when he read about the announcement of his film. “Sanjay Bhansali did not answer my calls. My film has been in the making for two years. Now, who will watch my film? I am a small filmmaker and my film has Varsha Usgaonkar playing Gangubai; he has Alia Bhatt in the titular role, so, people will definitely go and watch her. Our hard work will go in vain,” he rues, adding that while Bhansali has made the film on a set, he has stayed in Kamathipura for 27 days for the shoot. “You will see it,” he promises.

Anil feels that in such cases both the parties need to discuss beforehand. “In case of films being made on similar subjects, a NOC should be obtained from the one who rolls the project first,” he asserts.