Will there be legal trouble for Rajinikanth’s next film with director Pa Ranjith? The superstar has got a legal notice from Sundar Shaekhar, who says he’s the adopted son of underworld don Haji Mastan Mirza. In the notice, Sundar has asked Rajinikanth not to depict Haji Mastan as a ‘smuggler and an underworld don’.
Haji Mastan was a Tamil don, a smuggler, film financier and real estate businessman, according to Times of India. There are speculations that Rajinikanth will play the role of the don, who lived between 1926 and 1994, in his next film with Pa Ranjith.
Sundar Shaekhar said in his notice, “I further state that you are depicting my God Father and a well-known national political leader as a smuggler and underworld don, which is highly unacceptable and I strongly oppose such misrepresentation of my God Father.”
He added that his father was never convicted by any court of law in India in any such case of smuggling or any case related to underworld. “And representing or calling Late Shri Haji Mastan Mirza as ‘smuggler’ and underworld don are highly defamatory,” Sundar wrote.
He also threatened legal action against the movie. Saying that Haji Mastan was the founder of Bharatiya Minorities Suraksha Mahasangh, Sundar wrote, “There is a huge political party behind him and all party workers are in a state of anger on such misrepresentation of him as a smuggler or underworld don and if any such attempt is made by you to produce any such film, then I shall be constrained to adopt legal proceedings and it is needless to say that the same shall be entirely at your risks as to costs and consequences, which please note.” (sic)
However, he also offered to provide the real-life story of Haji Mastan Mirza, and produce the film as he is also a producer.
Haji Mastan Mirza was a Tamil muslim who migrated to Mumbai when he was eight years old along with his father. He spoke fluent Tamil and was an associate of gangster Karim Lala and Varadarajan Mudaliar who were into smuggling and real estate business, reported Indian Express.
He was reportedly also known for his unique dressing sense, he used to wear white clothes, white shoes, smoke costly cigarettes and drive a white Mercedes. Actor Ajay Devgan’s character in the movie Once Upon A Time in Mumbai was also inspired by Mastan Mirza.