“Gangubai Kathiawadi” follows the journey of Ganga Harjivandas as she grows from a young woman forced into prostitution to a revered local figure in Kamathipura and feared mafia don known as Gangubai Kathiawadi. The crime drama starring Alia Bhatt as the eponymous character mixes various elements of fiction and reality to create an on-screen recreation of the life of Gangubai Kathiawadi. In his story, the underworld don Rahim Lala plays an important role, and we are sure that viewers should look for information about the inspiration behind the character. If you’re wondering if Rahim Lala in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ is based on a real person, here’s everything you need to know!
Is Rahim Lala based on a real person?
In ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, Rahim Lala is the titular character’s sworn brother, and the two share a good bond. After one of Lala’s men rapes Gangubai, she demands justice and the incident triggers the start of their familial bond. Actor Ajay Devgn tries out the role of Rahim Lala in the film, making a long appearance. Although the makers of the film resorted to changing the name, Devgn’s character appears to be based on a real person named Karim Lala.
Abdul Karim Sher Khan, also known as Karim Lala, was born in Afghanistan in 1911 and later moved to Mumbai (then known as Bombay) at an early age. The family resided at Bhendi Bazaar and Lala started working at the local docks before joining a gang of Pathans. Soon Lala’s criminal career started gaining momentum and he was involved in various illegal activities. In time, Lala became the leader of the “Pathan Gang” and ran his own illegal operations in the slums of Bombay such as Dongri, Nagpada, Bhendi Bazaar and Kamathipura. According to Hussain Zaidi’s book “Mafia Queens of Mumbai” on which the film is based, Lala met Gangubai in Kamathipura and recognized her as his sworn sister.
Lala was involved in many illegal activities such as smuggling, narcotics, extortion, contract killings and gambling. Local gangsters such as Haji Mastan and Varadarajan were his fierce rivals until they formed a truce. Later, Lala installed his nephew Samad Khan as head of the Pathan Gang as his health deteriorated in the late 1970s. However, Lala continued to tend to his hotel and transportation business. In the 1980s, Lala tried to broker peace between his nephew, Samad Khan, and his rivals, Shabir Ibrahim Kaskar and Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar. However, he did not make a significant impact on the Bombay Mafia world after the event.
Lala died on February 19, 2002 at the age of 90. He had two wives and has two daughters, one from each wife. Lala inspired many gangster characters in Bollywood movies, and her name remains popular in mafia stories and Mumbai history of the 60s and 70s. Since the movie is based on the life of Lala’s sworn sister , Gangubai Kathiawadi, it’s no surprise that the directors used Lala sparingly in the plot. With an actor of Devgn’s caliber trying out the role, Lala’s presence hammers home the character’s narrative importance without detracting from the essence of the story. Therefore, by slightly modifying the name, the creators create a distinct character that is only loosely inspired by Karim Lala.
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