Kamathipura 'distorted' in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film, reel no match to real

The foundation of Kamathipura goes back to around 200 years ago when Telangana, which was Andhra Pradesh at the time, was hit by a famine. The people affected by this famine went to Mumbai in search of work and settled down in the area, which is why it was named as Kamathipura.

Mumbai: The famous Kamathipura that caught even more limelight after the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's much awaited movie Gangubai Kathiawadi on February 25, has its own profound history. Though having an infamous background of being in the bad light in the past for a long time, the area has developed extensively over the years. The people living there, who are leading respectful lives today, therefore have expressed a strong problem against the way the area has been portrayed in the Alia Bhatt starrer movie. The residents of the area, worried about their social image getting tarnished, have demanded for the movie to be stopped from airing.

200 years of History
The foundation of Kamathipura goes back to around 200 years ago when Telangana, which was Andhra Pradesh at the time, was hit by a famine. The people affected by this famine went to Mumbai in search of work and settled down in the area, which is why it was named as Kamathipura which literally translates to 'settlement of hard working people'. "We started with working at construction sites and we had a very hard working community. Laborers were called Kamati, which means working people. The area therefore came to be called as 'Kamathipura'," said Mumbai President of Akhil Padmashali Samaj, Balansaraya Donatula.

The migration of these workers from Telangana is also the reason why majority of the population here is Telugu speaking. Though people got into a variety of different occupations there over the years, the area had become the signature place for prostitution back in the time. Around 7-8 lanes in the area were occupied by the prostitutes. However, over time, the active prostitution area shrunk down to a few lanes and Kamathipura soon filled with people with socially acceptable occupations.

Great contribution in shaping Mumbai

Donatula also informed that the Telugu community has played a crucial role in shaping Mumbai. "Former VT station is now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus station. All the laborers who worked there were Telugu speaking laborers. Next to it is the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building, which was also built by the Telugu-speaking laborers. Our Telugu brothers have played a major role in shaping the rich architecture of Mumbai."

Kamathipura to become Padmashalinagar

Vijay Govind Chowki, a local resident says, "Earlier there was a prostitution business in this area. But now it is almost over. Kamathipura has changed completely today. Multi-story buildings are coming up, people are becoming progressive because of education. But the film is tarnishing the image of the area. Who would come to live in this area after watching the movie? The development will stop again. Our reputation will be tainted. Now we are going to change the name of Kamathipura to Padmashalinagar. Telugu people are hoping to accomplish this change soon. But until then, we demand a ban on this movie."

21-year-old Kavita Khakodia, who has been born and brought up in the area, said "The name of our Kamathipura area is getting tarnished because of this film. My generation didn't even have an idea that Gangubai was living here and she was a prostitute. Now because of the film, we are getting to know a few things but they are not all that glorious or even entirely true. Misguided history is being propagated through this movie which clearly misrepresents the area."